Only a small fraction of data center opponents actually live near one, according to new polling by a consulting firm that counsels leading AI labs and tech startups.
Why it matters: The findings by Milltown Partners, shared first with Axios, highlight how data centers have become a stand-in for broader anger at an AI future many Americans don’t want but fear they’ll have to pay for.
By the numbers: The public is still divided on data centers, with direct opposition not yet a majority view. But nearly half of respondents support a temporary construction ban, according to Milltown’s findings.
- 38% of respondents said they would support a data center being built near their home, while 34% would oppose it.
- Meanwhile, 49% say they support a moratorium on construction of new data centers, while only 16% oppose a moratorium.
- Another 27% neither support nor oppose a moratorium and 8% say they don’t know.
- Most opposition to data centers isn’t coming from neighbors. Only 8% of the respondents who oppose data centers say they know of one or more data centers near their home, the poll found.
Between the lines: The split suggests many voters aren’t categorically anti-data center, but they are wary of the pace and terms of the buildout.
- A temporary moratorium could be a way to force companies and policymakers to answer questions about costs, water use and who benefits.
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