A survey reveals local opposition to data center construction has jumped from 42% to 75% within a year.

According to a Heatmap News survey, 75 percent of Americans now oppose building a data center near them, with 61 percent stating they are "strongly opposed." This marks a sharp reversal from a year ago, when public 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 available in the full report at Heatmap News. These 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.