Poll: Voters want local governments to have most say on data center projects

The useful part

(The Center Square) – Americans voters say local governments should have the most say on whether data centers are approved, according to a new poll. 12-16 that surveyed registered voters nationally via opt-in online panel and text-to-web cell phone messages. The sample included 2,533 respondents comprised of 930 Republicans, 930 Democrats, and 673 Independents.

How it works

• Pollster Mike Noble, founder of Noble Predictive Insights, said that each month it seems like the intensity of the issues around data centers ratchets up as they expand across the country.
• "This is more about the final say and who pays the cost." State and local governments have begun a nationwide push to put in guardrails on how data centers are able to be approved and the tax benefits that...
• States such as Wisconsin have approved sales tax exemptions for data center electricity, construction expenses and both servers and equipment.
• Wisconsin has foregone $1.5 billion in sales tax revenue to four data center projects in initial construction and then $369 million more annually once the projects are completed.
• Now there is pushback against those tax breaks along with a fight to ensure that data centers pay all of the ex...

What to take from it

Among independent voters, 330 respondents were classified as true independents, which are individuals who do not lean toward either major party when given the choice.

Example or evidence

• Poll found that 50% of those surveyed want local governments to have the most power, 21% think it should be state governments, 11% think the federal government should decide and 7% believe it should be the...

Details worth keeping

"People have a lot of issues with it," Noble said.