People would rather have an Amazon warehouse in their backyard than a data center

The first StrictlyVC of 2026 lands in San Francisco on April 30. Tickets are limited. Register here. Save up to $680 on your Disrupt 2026 pass. Ends 11:59 p.m. PT tonight. REGISTER NOW. TechCrunch Desktop Logo TechCrunch Mobile Logo LatestStartupsVentureAppleSecurityAIApps EventsPodcastsNewsletters SearchSubmit Site Search Toggle Mega Menu Toggle Topics Latest As data centers have grown and proliferated, so too has the backlash. A new Harvard/MIT poll found 40% of people supported the building of a data center in their area, with 32% opposed when asked about the building of different industrial facilities in their neighborhoods. One fun tidbit from the survey, per Axios: More people would rather have an e-commerce warehouse. Two-thirds of respondents in the 1,000-person poll conducted in November were worried that a new data center in their region would nudge electricity prices higher. Interest in jobs and economic growth helped the case for data centers, according to Axios — though that sentiment may fade as most data center projects don’t employ many people once they’re up and running. Another survey, conducted last month and published earlier this week by Quinnipiac University, found much more opposition to data center construction. That poll found 65% of Americans oppose building an AI data center in their community. Only 24% of the 1,397 U.S. adults surveyed supported one being built. The new polls suggest that the debate over data centers is far from settled, and continued discontent from such a large swathe of the electorate is likely to continue spilling over into politics. Data centers once worked quietly in the background, more or less. Not anymore. StrictlyVC kicks off the year in SF. Get in the room for unfiltered fireside chats with industry leaders, insider VC insights, and high-value connections that actually move the needle. Tickets are limited. Newsletters See More Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage. TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight. Startups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly. Provides movers and shakers with the info they need to start their day. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. People would rather have an Amazon warehouse in their backyard than a data center Tim De Chant 3 minutes ago AI Microsoft takes on AI rivals with three new foundational models Rebecca Szkutak 1 day ago AI Salesforce announces an AI-heavy makeover for Slack, with 30 new features Lucas Ropek 3 days ago X LinkedIn Facebook Instagram youTube Mastodon Threads Bluesky TechCrunchStaffContact UsAdvertiseCrunchboard JobsSite Map Terms of ServicePrivacy PolicyRSS Terms of UseCode of Conduct KalshiCopilotBlue OriginWordPressBezosTech LayoffsChatGPT © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC.