NJ embraces AI but doesn't want data centers nearby, poll finds
A Rutgers-Eagleton Poll found that most New Jersey residents oppose data center construction, especially in their own municipality. Residents cited concerns about electricity and water use, higher utility bills and environmental effects, despite recognizing potential jobs, tax revenue and AI benefits.
A Rutgers-Eagleton Poll of 1,004 New Jersey adults found broad opposition to data center development. Sixty-two percent opposed construction somewhere in the state, while 72% opposed a facility in their own town or city and 64% opposed one in a neighboring county. Respondents said electricity and water consumption, higher utility bills and environmental impacts outweighed potential economic benefits.
The poll also found that New Jersey residents use artificial intelligence widely but are more skeptical of its effects on jobs, education and the environment. Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, said residents appear willing to use AI while resisting the construction of nearby facilities that support it. Views varied by age, education, income and political affiliation, with Republicans showing greater support for local data centers than Democrats or independents.