Data center opposition surged from 42 to 75 percent in just one year, survey finds

75 percent of Americans now oppose building a data center near them, according to a Heatmap News survey. 61 percent are "strongly opposed." A year ago, opinion was nearly even at 43 percent in favor and 42 percent against. A slim majority first emerged in February. Heatmap News journalist Robinson Meyer calls it "a swift, massive shift."

The survey asked the same question repeatedly over the past year. Breakdowns by party and urban-rural splits are in the full report at Heatmap News.

The numbers roughly match a Gallup poll from May, which found 71 percent opposed, 48 percent "strongly." Data centers now rank above racism and Israel as a campaign issue. The top concerns are local power costs, water use, and land use.