A HOT POTATO: It's no secret that Americans' feelings toward data centers are worsening, but the speed at which the public is turning on these facilities is surprising. There are plenty of reasons why people don't want them built near their homes, with rising electricity costs being one of the main factors.
A survey by Heatmap Pro found that 71% of Americans would oppose a data center being built near where they live, with 55% "strongly" opposing such a project.
What's interesting is the speed at which support for data centers has crashed over the past few months. When Heatmap first conducted its survey in August 2025, just 42% opposed these facilities. Another survey conducted three months ago saw the figure rise, but it was still just 51%.
The report found that across nine months, public support for data centers has declined 49 points.
Data centers were the top reason participants named for rising electricity costs. 53% blamed these facilities, up from 28% nine months ago.
