Poll: Data centers should supply own energy, says 8 in 10

A recent poll conducted by the Carolina Journal through Harper Polling indicates strong support among North Carolinians for requiring artificial intelligence data centers to generate their own energy. Approximately 80% of likely voters expressed support for such a measure, with nearly 60% being strongly supportive. This comes as the North Carolina General Assembly considers multiple proposals regarding data center energy. House Bill 638, known as The Escalation of Electricity Demand Act, proposes assigning new data centers' electricity demands and costs directly to their beneficiaries. Another bill, House Bill 1002, or The Rate Payer Protection Act, aims to prevent grid or energy costs incurred solely for data centers from being passed on to ratepayers and suggests creating a special commission for data center planning. Both bills are currently stalled in legislative committees. North Carolina is a burgeoning hub for data centers, with 92 facilities already established. Amazon announced a $10 billion investment in June for its Amazon Web Services data center supply chain in Richmond County, promising at least 500 new high-tech jobs. Additionally, Digital Realty previously announced plans for a 400-megawatt campus in Charlotte. Other large-scale projects are underway in locations such as Tarboro, Statesville, Catawba County, Kingsboro, and Fayetteville.