Colorado poll shows how unfavorable AI data centers are with voters
A recent Colorado poll by Magellan Strategies found significant public opposition to AI data centers, with 86% of respondents not wanting one in their neighborhood. Major concerns included water usage and electricity consumption, along with fears that utility companies like Xcel would pass costs onto households. The statewide poll surveyed 1400 people.
A recent poll conducted by Magellan Strategies, surveying approximately 1400 people across Colorado, revealed a significant level of public opposition to AI data centers. The findings indicate that two-thirds of Colorado residents hold unfavorable opinions of AI data centers, with opposition intensifying the closer a facility is to their homes. Specifically, 75% oppose a data center in Colorado, 77% in their county, 82% in their city, and 86% do not want one in their neighborhood.
The primary concerns identified by the poll were water usage and electricity consumption. Respondents also expressed worries that utility companies, such as Xcel Energy, would transfer the costs associated with these data centers to residential households. Despite the strong local opposition, nearly half of those polled acknowledged the importance of US AI companies maintaining a competitive edge against Chinese AI firms, although not "in their backyard." Magellan Strategies, formerly a right-leaning pollster now focused on civic polls, conducted this survey independently.