More Than Half of New Jerseyans Say Data Center Costs Outweigh the Benefits
A Rutgers-Eagleton poll found that 55% of New Jersey residents believe data center costs, including electricity and water use and potentially higher utility bills, outweigh the benefits. Most respondents oppose data centers being built in their town, a neighboring county, or the state, while views on AI’s broader effects are generally negative or mixed.
A statewide Rutgers-Eagleton poll found broad skepticism toward data center development in New Jersey. Fifty-five percent of respondents said the costs outweigh the benefits, compared with 11% who said the benefits outweigh the costs. Opposition was strongest for facilities built in respondents’ own towns or cities, where 72% were opposed, followed by opposition to projects in the state overall at 62%.
Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, said residents commonly use AI but remain reluctant to have the data centers supporting it built nearby. The poll also found that residents were particularly negative about AI’s effects on jobs and the environment, with partisan and demographic differences shaping views.