Public opposition to building artificial intelligence data centers in local communities has reached its highest level in ten months, according to newly released survey tracking data from Morning Consult.
For the first time since November, support for banning nearby data center construction outpolled opposition, with 45 percent of voters favoring local bans.
Rising utility costs and resource demands drive much of the pushback. Among voters supporting a ban on local data center construction, 48 percent point to higher electricity bills as a main reason, while 45 percent cite water usage and 42 percent express concern over power grid strain.
Overall, two out of three voters attribute rising electricity bills to data center expansion. Additionally, 46 percent of voters now say the AI buildout negatively affects water prices, up 14 percentage points since October.
Voters who oppose local construction bans remain divided in their reasoning. Roughly one-third of these respondents cite local job creation, while about a quarter point to potential national economic growth or expected improvements to local data and energy infrastructure.
Overall, the share of undecided voters on the issue has dropped 10 percentage points since October as public opinion hardens.
The shift on technology infrastructure arrives alongside heightened public scrutiny of federal economic priorities. Housing costs entered priority tracking as a top-three issue, with 62 percent of voters stating housing should be a top priority for Washington, compared to 40 percent who say federal lawmakers are currently treating it as one. Congressional Democrats hold a 12-point trust advantage over Republicans on housing policy, 47 percent to 35 percent, as well as broader advantages on overall economic issues.
The data also details President Donald Trump’s overall job approval rating at 43 percent, with 54 percent disapproving, putting his approval 11 points underwater following a decline over the past month. Ratings on his leadership regarding energy fell to a second-term low of net −7. Approval on health care stood at net −14, while Medicare and Social Security registered at net −10, both approaching term lows.
These figures emerge on the eve of the largest primary day of the election cycle so far. Five states—Michigan, Missouri, Kansas, Washington, and Virginia—head to the polls, led by Michigan’s open-seat Senate primary featuring Abdul El-Sayed and Representative Haley Stevens.
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