Public frustration over the cost of keeping the lights on is reaching a boiling point, and voters have found a clear target for their anger: artificial intelligence. According to the latest Morning Consult Political Intelligence tracking data, a staggering 69% of voters now blame AI data centers for rising household electricity prices.
That figure has climbed 15 points since October 2025, when data centers were actually the least-blamed factor on the list.
The surge in finger-pointing comes as President Trump’s approval rating on energy issues took a sharp five-point dive this week. While his overall job performance remains steady—with 44% of the electorate approving and 53% disapproving—the specific pressure to lower energy costs is mounting.
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The share of voters demanding that the administration make price reduction a “top priority” jumped seven points in just seven days.
The data reveals a complicated “split-brain” mentality among the American public. When thinking about the big picture, voters see the benefits of AI; they gave the technology net-positive ratings for U.S. global competitiveness (+22) and national security (+5).
However, that optimism vanishes when it comes to the monthly budget. AI received deep net-negative scores regarding its impact on electricity prices (-27), the power grid (-21), and even water costs (-20).
This tension is playing out in a “Not In My Backyard” battle over new construction. Support for banning data center construction near residential areas has hit a record high of 42%. Surprisingly, both Republicans (45%) and Democrats (43%) now lean toward these local bans.
Independents, however, are moving in the opposite direction, with opposition to bans rising to 42% in May, up from 37% in March.
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Despite the local pushback, Americans seem to realize they cannot simply unplug. When forced to choose between halting construction or expanding the nation’s energy supply to keep up, 45% of voters chose to “continue and build,” while 39% wanted to stop.
Republicans are the most vocal supporters of building more energy (51%), while Democrats are more divided, with 44% favoring a halt to construction compared to 41% who want to proceed.
As the pollsters noted, while the “ban” questions capture a general sense of frustration, the policy questions show that voters ultimately value a stable energy supply over strict restrictions. For now, the message to Washington is clear: the public is tired of paying for the digital revolution on their utility bills.
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