Most Registered Voters Dislike Politicians Who Support Building Data Centers Near Them, Poll Shows

Politicians promising jobs and investment through new data centers are confronting an electorate that largely dislikes leaders who support building the facilities nearby, including substantial resistance among Republican voters.

According to a Pew Research Center survey released ahead of the midterms, 61% of registered voters say they dislike political leaders who support data centers in their area. Just 8% said they like them.

Among voters supporting Republican congressional candidates, 44% said they dislike those leaders and 14% like them. Opposition is stronger among Democratic candidate supporters, at 75%, compared with 5% expressing approval.

The backlash comes as the Trump administration continues supporting expansion, with a record $3.3 billion Agriculture Department loan for a Georgia power plant that could potentially benefit data centers on the horizon.

USDA rural development chief Glen Smith said the plant would serve 38 rural utility cooperatives. Oglethorpe Power, the borrower, said the facility was not dedicated to a data center and would meet growing demand across its member communities.

Much of the coming development is headed toward communities with little previous experience hosting the facilities. An April Pew analysis identified more than 1,500 data centers in development nationwide, with 67% in rural areas.

By comparison, 87% of operating facilities were in urban areas. Three-quarters of planned projects were concentrated in the South and Midwest, and 39% were in counties without an existing data center. The analysis used industry database records accessed in February, grouping projects under construction, planned or designated as land banked.

Those projects are arriving amid broad public unease. Pew found that 60% of Americans would be uncomfortable with a new data center operating locally. That included 54% of Republicans and Republican leaners and 68% of Democrats and Democratic leaners. Majorities in urban, suburban, and rural communities expressed discomfort.

Electricity demand helps explain why the debate extends beyond neighboring property owners. Data centers consumed approximately 183 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024, more than 4% of total U.S. consumption, according to International Energy Agency estimates cited by Pew.

Demand was projected to more than double by 2030. The facilities support multiple services, making it difficult to isolate AI's share of their total electricity use. Cooling systems can also require substantial water, depending on their design.

Neither survey establishes how many ballots the issue will move. But Pew's findings show that Republican candidates face resistance within their own electorate as they promote local projects. The 42% of Republican candidate supporters expressing no preference also leaves a sizable audience whose views have not hardened.