Public resistance to data center construction is rising rapidly across the US, creating a challenge for the tech industry as it invests heavily in building AI infrastructure.
A recent nationwide Compass Poll conducted by Embold Research suggests that concerns over electricity costs are fueling much of the opposition. In contrast, the survey suggests a potential path forward: data centers that generate a substantial portion of their own power through on-site renewable energy are viewed more favorably.
The poll, conducted in May among 2,244 registered voters, found that opposition to local data center development has climbed dramatically over just a few months. In December 2025, 52% of voters opposed a data center being built in their area. By May 2026, that figure had increased to 70%, while support fell to 21%. Offering even more resistance to the tech industry, the rise in strong opposition grew from 36% to 58% during the same period.
Electricity costs are driving voter anxiety. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they believe a nearby data center would increase local power prices, with 59% expecting electricity bills to rise markedly. Only a small minority believed a data center would have little effect on energy costs.
Differing Views on Renewables
Even among the largely negative views, the Embold survey found that attitudes become more favorable when data centers generate a substantial share of their own electricity on-site. Approximately four in ten respondents said they would be more likely to support a local facility if it produced its own power rather than relying entirely on the electrical grid.
Support grew further when respondents were told the on-site generation would come from renewable sources such as solar or wind power. Among Democrats, the share who said they would be more likely to support a local data center increased from 33% when the energy source was unspecified to 52% when renewable energy was identified. Independents showed a similar shift, rising from 13% to 23%.
Republicans moved in the opposite direction, with 48% saying they were more likely to support a data center with unspecified on-site generation, compared with 32% when the generation was specifically described as renewable.
Renewable generation also eased concerns about utility bills. When voters were asked to consider a data center powered partly by on-site renewable energy, the share expecting electricity prices to increase fell from 73% to 46%. The percentage who believed prices would rise “a lot” dropped from 59% to 23%. Meanwhile, the share of respondents who expected little or no impact on electricity prices increased from 12% to 33%.
Oppose Nearby Data Center
Opposition to data centers is becoming a broader national issue. Separate polling conducted by Heatmap Pro and Embold Research found that 71% of Americans oppose a data center being built near where they live. The survey also found resistance cutting across political affiliations, age groups, and geographic regions.
This resistance is translating into real world results. According to Heatmap Pro data, at least 20 proposed data center projects were canceled during the first quarter of 2026 following public backlash, eliminating more than $41 billion in planned investment and several gigawatts of anticipated electricity demand.
Additional research from Gallup points to environmental concerns as another major driver of opposition to data centers. Respondents cited worries about electricity consumption, water usage, pollution, and quality-of-life impacts. Gallup found that 71% of Americans opposed local AI data center construction, compared with 53% who opposed a nuclear power plant being built in their area.
