Most Californians oppose the construction of data centers in their communities, a recent survey shows.
Seventy percent of voters said they oppose building new data centers where they live, while fewer than one in five support them, according to a poll conducted by FM3 Research and released by Net-Zero California and The Utility Reform Network on May 26.
At the same time, the poll — conducted with a sample of 850 likely November 2026 voters between May 17 and May 24 with a sampling error of +/-3.5 percentage points — found that three in five voters support legislation that puts certain safeguards on data centers. Twenty-six percent, however, said they would totally oppose such a law.
“California already ranks third in the nation for data center capacity, and that capacity is only growing,” TURN Executive Director Mark Toney said in a statement announcing the survey’s release. “This poll makes it clear that voters expect lawmakers to set clear, enforceable standards that stop data centers from passing their infrastructure costs to families who receive little, if any, benefit.”
The survey comes as the State Legislature considers approaches to data center oversight, including Senate Bills 886 and 887, the nonprofits said.
Here’s what to know about data centers and why they’ve become a growing point of debate.
What is a data center?
Data centers house large numbers of computers, known as servers, along with other equipment required to store, process, and share digital information.
“It is the physical facility that stores any company’s digital data,” Amazon says.
Because they handle massive amounts of data, they require significant electricity and cooling to operate efficiently, according to Microsoft.
“Data centers are significant energy consumers, and their power demands are rising as digital transformation accelerates,” Cisco says. “The (Graphics Processing Units) that power AI data centers consume 10 to 15 times more power per processing cycle than (Central Processing Units) that power traditional data centers because of the computational intensity of training and running AI models.”
The surge in data centers stems from growing global demand for digital services, including cloud computing, streaming, e‑commerce, and artificial intelligence, used by both consumers and businesses, according to the digital publication Programs.com.
Because there is no federal regulation of data centers, estimates of how many there are nationwide vary by source, according to the Pew Research Center.
“One of the oldest and most comprehensive industry databases is Data Center Map, which estimates that the U.S. has over 4,000 data centers, including operational sites and those under development,” the Pew Research Center says. “A third of U.S. data centers are in just three states: Virginia (643), Texas (395), and California (319).”
What are concerns over data centers?
Concerns about data centers typically center on three main areas: heavy resource use, such as electricity and water demand; environmental impacts, including emissions, pollution, and land use; and local effects, such as noise and higher costs for nearby communities.
“The public broadly is quite negative about data centers. Overall, their concerns are very legitimate,” Ben Green — assistant professor in the University of Michigan School of Information and Public Policy and a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society — said in an interview with the Harvard Gazette. “The public is concerned about rising electricity rates caused by data centers. They are concerned about the enormous water use that data centers require. They’re concerned about public handouts in the form of tax breaks that are going to data center developers, and they’re also aware that data centers don’t bring meaningful economic development, especially in the form of jobs.”
Meanwhile, proponents argue that data centers “bring high-paying jobs, construction activity, and tax revenue,” according to the Brookings Institution. Supporters also argue that if America pauses construction of AI infrastructure, it risks being left behind by geopolitical competitors.
A report authored by the University of California, Riverside, and produced by the nonprofit Next 10 — released in November- found that rapid growth in AI-driven data centers is sharply increasing California’s electricity use, carbon emissions, water consumption, and pollution-related health costs, which more than tripled between 2019 and 2023. The report goes on to warn that these impacts will continue to rise through 2028 as demand grows, unless mitigated by cleaner energy, greater efficiency, and stronger regulation.
Communities move to ban/restrict data centers
As concerns grow, some communities are taking action to restrict or ban data centers altogether.
In a special municipal election on June 2, Monterey Park residents overwhelmingly approved Measure NDC, an ordinance banning data centers, with 88% voting in favor as of June 16. Results from the election will be certified by July 10, according to the California Secretary of State.
Though there have been other communities nationwide — including Seattle, Washington, and Denver, Colorado — that have passed moratoriums on data centers, Monterey Park is believed to be the first city to implement a ban through a ballot initiative, USA TODAY reported.
In Coachella, the City Council voted in early June to impose a 45-day moratorium on data center development and directed staff to draft language for consideration within that period that could permanently ban such projects, according to The Desert Sun. The decision followed public outcry over a controversial proposal to build a large data center in the city, a project that was canceled with the vote.
What are SB 886 and SB 887?
Collectively, SB 886 and SB 887 aim to put safeguards in place to encourage the responsible building of data centers, without raising energy costs or weakening environmental protections in California.
Also known as the California Technology Innovation and Ratepayer Protection Act, SB 886 aims to manage the growing electricity demand of large energy users, such as data centers. The measure is meant to put protections in place for everyday utility customers, ensuring they don’t bear the burden of increased power use by these facilities. If passed, the bill would require regulators to establish a special rate structure for large users and hold them responsible for the infrastructure and grid upgrades needed to support their operations.
Meanwhile, SB 887 deals with environmental review and project approval. If passed, the legislation would require most data center developments to undergo a full environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), limiting their ability to rely on exemptions that could bypass scrutiny.
Both bills will be heard in the Assembly Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee on June 24, according to Net-Zero California and The Utility Reform Network.
After the June 24 hearing, the bills must clear additional votes in the Assembly and be signed by the governor before becoming law.
More on FM3 Research poll
Though seven in ten California voters oppose data centers in their communities, most say they would support them if strong safeguards are in place, pollsters found.
About 63% of voters back legislation that would impose environmental and consumer protections, while 26% oppose it. A clear majority also prefers that those rules be set through state law rather than left to regulators.
Pollsters said support hinges on stricter standards, including requiring data centers to use clean energy, limiting water use, avoiding increases in electricity bills, reducing the risk of blackouts, and offering incentives for projects that deliver clear community benefits.
Overall, pollsters said, the findings suggest that while resistance to data centers remains high, Californians are open to development if it is paired with enforceable protections and tangible local benefits.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Most Californians oppose data centers in their communities, poll finds
Reporting by Daniella Segura, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Daniella Segura, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
