Americans oppose a data center in their own area by 56% to 15% in a Yale-George Mason survey

The 56% comes from 1,068 adults surveyed in April, 930 of them registered voters ^[1], in the Spring 2026 Climate Change in the American Mind survey, a nationally representative poll run by climate change communication researchers at Yale and George Mason University ^[4]. Another 15% said they would support a local data center ^[3], so roughly 3.7 people opposed one for every one who backed it ^[14]. That leaves 29% in neither column ^[13].

As the researchers describe it, the question asked about building a data center in the respondent's local area ^[1]. It did not name a specific project, so it does not show how the same person would answer about one. As the researchers note, the buildings can bring economic investment and jobs ^[19].

Opposition crosses party lines, but not evenly. A majority in most political groups opposes a local data center, and the extent varies ^[5]. Among registered voters the figure is about three-quarters of liberal Democrats and about half of conservative Republicans ^[6], a spread of roughly 25 points ^[15]. The 930 registered voters are divided among several political groups, so each of those subgroup figures rests on fewer people than the 56% topline ^[1].

Climate views show the same pattern. Opposition is highest among the Alarmed, the group most worried about climate change, at 71% ^[7]. The researchers say it is also very strong among the Dismissive, who reject that global warming is happening and is human-caused ^[8]. Their published account does not include a margin of error, subgroup sample sizes or a percentage for the Dismissive group.

Massachusetts is the clearest case of a constraint with force. Gov. Maura Healey's order, issued in early September, says no state agency will issue data center permits unless the project already has approval from its municipality ^[11]. Because the local yes is a precondition, the town in effect holds a veto over the state permit track. Vermont took a different route. Gov. Phil Scott vetoed a bill with strict data center rules, and local governments are banning data centers in their towns ^[12].

The researchers wrote that "Public opinion is playing an important role in shaping how data center expansion unfolds across the country" ^[17]. The survey was fielded in April and the order came in early September ^[1][11]. The poll does not show that opinion produced the permit rule. In our view the evidence supports a narrower claim than a national trend toward binding limits: broad stated opposition, a binding rule in one state by executive order, and bans in Vermont towns. The researchers say the debates are reaching state lawmakers ^[16], but the one state bill described here was vetoed ^[12].

The electricity-bill question has the broadest agreement. Some 59% expect higher bills if a data center opens locally, 5% expect lower bills and 25% don't know ^[9], and majorities of every political group among registered voters expect increases ^[10]. The researchers add that agreements between power companies and data center owners aren't always clear about who pays, and that it may be functionally impossible to tell whether costs are shared fairly ^[18].