Two in three Michigan residents oppose the construction of data centers in their community, new polling from the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University shows.
About half of respondents, 52%, strongly oppose data center construction. Another 18% reported being somewhat opposed.
The poll found that opposition to data centers is bipartisan but is stronger among Democrats and independents than Republicans; 76% of respondents self-identifying as Democrats at least “somewhat” oppose data center development in their communities, while 58% of self-described Republican respondents oppose the projects.
Opposition stems from the perceived impact on the environment, the economy and utility rates.
The poll shows that nearly three in four respondents thought data centers were at least somewhat bad for the environment, and more than half of respondents thought they were bad for the economy.
More than three quarters of respondents said they expect data centers to increase home energy costs.
