Polls Show Strong Public Support for Data Center Regulation

Public opposition to large-scale data center expansion is growing across the United States, with voters increasingly demanding local control and regulatory guardrails. A national poll by Noble Predictive Insights found that 50% of registered voters believe local governments should hold primary authority to approve these projects, while only 7% favor leaving decisions to private companies.

In New Mexico, opposition is more acute. A poll by Research & Polling Inc. shows 65% of voters oppose large-scale data center development, including a majority of Republicans. Three-quarters of New Mexico respondents support a statewide moratorium on new projects until regulatory standards are established. This sentiment follows the development of facilities by Meta in Los Lunas and the 'Project Jupiter' campus in Santa Teresa by Oracle and OpenAI.

Political reactions to the trend vary. Former President Donald Trump criticized the anti-data center movement on Truth Social, arguing that such resistance harms national security and benefits China. Meanwhile, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has supported development provided projects comply with regulations. In Wisconsin, Republican congressman Tom Tiffany has vowed to end tax subsidies for data centers, noting that the state has foregone billions in sales tax revenue.