A majority of New Jersey residents believe data centers demand more resources to the point where they outweigh their economic benefits, with an overwhelming majority of people opposing the construction of any new AI facilities in the state, according to a new poll from Rutgers University.
Survey results released on Thursday, October 15th, by the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll showed that 55% of New Jersey residents feel increasing costs of electricity and water because of data centers and say these increased costs outweigh the jobs and tax revenue they generate. Only 11% say the opposite, while 19% view them as equal.
Opposition to data center infrastructure is widespread across New Jersey, with 72% of residents opposing data centers in their town or city, 64% opposed to one in neighboring counties, and 62% opposing them statewide.
“What stands out about data centers is that no group reaches majority support anywhere—not in their own town, not in a neighboring county, not in the state at large,” said Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.
This skepticism extends to AI as a whole despite its daily widespread use. 30% of residents report AI use positively affecting their daily lives; when considering broader impacts, opinions turn negative. 48% of residents think AI has a negative impact on the environment, 43% say it negatively affects jobs, and 39% think it negatively affects education.
Most people understand the overall negative impact that AI has on the world and don’t want their bills to hike up because of data centers, but they use AI anyway because it’s a free service available for anyone to use.
This probability-based survey of 1004 adults was conducted between September 4th and September 27th, 2026, and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1%.
