PHILADELPHIA – As protesters rally against data center construction in dozens of states and New York and Texas pause the issuance of permits for large data centers, a new nationally representative survey finds that Americans’ opposition to data centers in their communities has risen sharply since last spring. Source: Annenberg Public Policy Center IOD 2026 national surveys in June-July and in February-March. Opposition crosses party lines and is highest among younger adults : Majorities of Democrats (69%), Republicans (54%) and independents (53%) oppose new local data centers. : Majorities of Democrats (69%), Republicans (54%) and independents (53%) oppose new local data centers. But opposition to local data centers is essentially flat across different usage groups.