Most Americans support data center limits as concerns about electricity prices and water supplies cross party lines.
About six in 10 U.S. adults favor limiting the number of new data centers that can be built, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago.
The findings include support from majorities of both Democrats and Republicans, highlighting shared concerns about how these facilities affect surrounding communities.
Americans Want Companies to Cover Grid Costs
About seven in 10 Americans support requiring data center developers to pay for the electric grid upgrades their facilities need. Roughly two-thirds support requiring the facilities to use clean energy, according to the AP-NORC/EPIC findings.
Most adults also report being extremely or very concerned about the potential effects on local electricity prices or water supplies.
Those responses describe public concerns and policy preferences. They do not establish how a particular project will affect utility bills or water availability.
Residents Question Who Benefits
Nancy Antunes, a 60-year-old Democrat from Waltham, Massachusetts, told The Associated Press that she worries residents’ interests are taking a back seat.
She believes “decisions are being made for the company, not for the community that they’re being built in.”
The poll’s findings point to concerns beyond whether new facilities should receive approval. Americans also want conditions governing how developers power their operations and pay for supporting infrastructure.
Electricity Demand Could Grow Sharply
Federal energy research illustrates the scale of the issue. The Department of Energy cites an updated Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory analysis estimating that data centers could consume 11.8% of U.S. electricity by 2030.
The analysis includes scenarios ranging from 9.5% to 15.3%. Those figures are projections, not guaranteed outcomes, and depend on assumptions about equipment growth and energy use.
The department also highlights the benefits of data centers, including support for scientific research, digital services and economic activity.
Public Support Is Not a New Restriction
The survey measures Americans’ views; it does not impose construction limits or new energy requirements.
Its central finding is that majorities want safeguards alongside development, particularly when new facilities require more electricity, water or investment in the grid.