Polling shows Texans opposition towards data centers, as politicians reverse course

As companies that operate data centers continue to break ground in the Lone Star State, research from the Texas politics project at UT Austin this summer shows most Texans oppose the construction of them.

"Opposition is strongest in rural and suburban areas, and that obviously speaks to the fact that many of the most recent, developed and promised projects are in what we call exorbitant areas," James Henson with The Texas Politics Project said.

Henson said their recent poll found only 29% of Texans support "the construction of a data center in your community," while 56% are opposed.

While he said they are still exploring data as it relates to politics and campaigns and data centers, he said the most recent shift from current elected officials is clear.

"I think it's possible to not see election politics playing out, Governor Abbott's reversal of his earlier, kind of unfettered support for AI development, and that support was also shared by the majority of the legislature, being modified into a much more slow approach, and frankly I would say, tapping the brakes," said Henson.

Suzanne Bellsnyder, former republican activist and a Texas rural reporter, said she agrees, both looking to see how the future of the facilities play out in hearings and the next year's legislative sessions.

"These data centers are changing people's lives, and they're disrupting their lives," Bellsnyder said. "I think that's where that's coming from. Governor Abbott polls every day. He knows what people and voters are thinking of, and I just feel like he's responding to public opinion in order because it's an election year. And so I think that's why we're seeing the shift."

Advertisements supporting data centers are starting to pop up from Texas Connects, a group that supports data center growth, partnered with the Data Center Coalition.

The President and CEO of Data Center Coalition, Josh Levi, said the ads aim to help "educate" Texans on data centers. In a statement, Levi said the organization does not endorse candidates for public office or participate in political campaigns, but instead is "intended as a public education effort to help inform Texans about the many benefits data centers provide to local communities across the state."

The statement read in part:

"Texas Connects represents a coalition of stakeholders from the data center ecosystem, including the Data Center Coalition, working to inform and engage with communities about the benefits of data centers in Texas. These benefits include supporting more than 428,000 jobs across the state, contributing more than $39 billion to state GDP, and generating $4.5 billion in state and local tax revenue - revenue that supports tax relief, schools, roads, emergency services, law enforcement, and other community priorities, helping to make life more affordable for Texans.