The new poll shows those instincts may be correct. More than 80% of likely voters expressed at least some level of concern with the impact of data centers on electricity prices, water supply and power outages, with more than two-thirds saying they were “extremely or very concerned.”
Texas voters also appear skeptical about the industry’s potential benefits to the Lone Star State.
Less than half of likely voters believed data centers would have an “extremely or very beneficial impact” on technological advancement or electrical infrastructure, and just a third believed they would be largely beneficial to tax revenue or job creation.
The poll also found a partisan split on opinions regarding data centers. Nearly all Democrats voiced high levels of concern around the industry’s impact on electricity and water supply, while only half of Republicans said the same.