Data center polling shows the public is open to construction – if we lower energy costs

By Saara Khan

Public opposition to data centers may be less entrenched than it appears. A new poll conducted by Fabrizio Ward and Impact Research finds that while 58% of Americans oppose data center construction in their state, support rises from 28% to 54% when companies commit to meeting their own electricity needs, protecting ratepayers from higher utility bills, and safeguarding local water and environmental resources. 

Support increases by another 10 percentage points when respondents who want them built wherever the government deems necessary are included. The findings suggest that opposition is not necessarily about data centers themselves but about who pays for their enormous energy demands. 

By ensuring developers bear the costs associated with their electricity consumption and reducing barriers to expanding energy infrastructure, policymakers can address a major source of public resistance without sacrificing data center development.

Nearly half of those initially opposed to data centers were open to construction under the specified protections. This suggests that public attitudes are not fixed and that addressing concerns about electricity costs could help the industry overcome a growing political obstacle.

Data centers can require new generation, transmission lines, and grid upgrades to meet their industrial electricity demands. When these investments increase utility costs for households, residents effectively subsidize infrastructure that primarily benefits private companies. Asking consumers to pay more for electricity to support facilities from which they may see few direct benefits is a recipe for opposition.

Congress has acknowledged these concerns through the proposed Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act. The legislation includes Senator Jon Husted (R-Ohio) and Rep. Gabe Evans’s Ratepayer Protection Act, which would require large electricity users, including data centers, to cover associated transmission costs while reforming federal permitting for energy and infrastructure projects. These provisions would help protect ratepayers from costs attributable to new demand while easing delays that prevent new energy infrastructure from coming online.

Permitting reform is particularly important as electricity demand rises. Requiring data centers to pay their own way addresses how new infrastructure is funded; reducing permitting barriers helps ensure that generation and transmission capacity can be quickly built to meet growing demand. Combined with the full expensing provision of the Working Families Tax Cut, these approaches can improve affordability while allowing infrastructure development to keep pace with technological progress. 

If policymakers pair these protections with permitting reform, the industry can address a major source of public opposition while continuing to expand the infrastructure that supports the digital economy.