New Poll: Voter Opposition To Local AI Data Centers Hits High Amid Rising Utility Concerns
A new poll indicates that public opposition to local AI data centers has reached a ten-month high, with 45% of voters now supporting local construction bans. Key concerns driving this opposition include rising electricity bills, high water usage, and strain on the power grid.
A recent survey from Morning Consult reveals that public opposition to the construction of artificial intelligence data centers in local communities has reached its highest level in ten months. For the first time since November, voter support for local bans on data center construction, at 45%, has surpassed opposition.
The increased pushback is primarily driven by concerns over escalating utility costs and resource demands. Among voters who favor a ban, 48% cite higher electricity bills as a main reason, 45% point to water usage, and 42% express worries about power grid strain. Overall, two out of three voters attribute rising electricity bills to data center expansion, and 46% now believe that the AI buildout negatively impacts water prices, marking a 14-point increase since October.
Voters opposing local construction bans are split on their rationale, with roughly one-third citing local job creation and a quarter mentioning potential national economic growth or improvements to local data and energy infrastructure. The proportion of undecided voters on the issue has decreased by 10 percentage points since October, suggesting a hardening of public opinion. The article also briefly touches upon broader federal economic priorities, including housing costs, and President Donald Trump's job approval ratings, but these are secondary to the primary focus on data center opposition.