Poll: Majority of New Jersey Voters Support AI Data Center Bans
Poll: Majority of New Jersey Voters Support AI Data Center Bans
Publish Date: 2026-05-06 12:42:00
Source Domain: www.govtech.com
- A majority of state voters favor banning artificial intelligence data centers in their communities, per a poll released by the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University.
- Nearly 75% of voters believe that AI will eliminate more jobs than it will create, with 7% thinking it will generate more jobs and 13% holding neutral views.
- There is considerable debate around the appropriate zoning, energy sourcing, and financial burden for grid upgrades related to AI data centers.
- Residents of Vineland are actively opposing a proposed 2.6 million-square-foot data center that would rely heavily on natural gas and potentially impact the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer.
- Voters are largely concerned about the impact of data centers on electricity costs and environmental sustainability, including electricity and water usage.
- 84% of voters support the requirement for data centers to use their own power sources rather than relying on the existing grid.
- Only 8% of voters believe that data centers bring benefits to the communities they are located in, while nearly half believe they cause more harm than good.
- The findings point to significant challenges for policymakers as they need to reconcile economic benefits from AI infrastructure with public concerns about costs and environmental and community impacts.
