On the issues
which you also polled on
data centers, as we all know
are a hot topic right now.
You looked
at how people viewed
the cost-benefit analysis
of them.
Your results show respondents
from all parties think
the costs outweigh the benefits.
But who wins the day here?
Public opinion
or moneyed interests?
Well, moneyed interests
are certainly important
and the development of
these centers
is an economic priority
for a whole industry.
But the public has
not been convinced.
I think the proponents
of data centers have failed
to convince the public
that those benefits are real.
People recognize
that technical jobs
and tax revenue
for communities
are important benefits
but they look at water usage
as a big concern, a cost.
They also are concerned
about electricity.
Maybe surprisingly
the second biggest
cost people point to
is developing AI
and saying we shouldn't develop
artificial intelligence.
So there's a real
need to communicate
with voters
about what
those benefits are or
the critics end up
with the upper hand on this.
And we've seen a big movement
away from data centers since
October, when we first asked.