most Texans – A new University of Texas and Texas Politics Project poll shows 56% of Texans oppose building data centers in their communities. The result comes as Gov. Greg Abbott orders state regulators to curb data center costs and tie expansions to infrastructure and rat
For many Texans, the debate over data centers is no longer abstract—it’s about what gets built near them, and who pays when power demand rises.
On Monday. June 22. a poll conducted by the University of Texas and the Texas Politics Project found 56% of the 1. 200 Texans surveyed oppose the construction of data centers in their communities. including 42% who are strongly opposed. The numbers land as Gov. Greg Abbott moves to reshape how data center expansions are handled in Texas.
Abbott sent a letter in early June to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) directing regulators to require data centers to fully fund the costs of electric infrastructure needed to serve their operations. He also told them to ensure data center interconnections that will reduce residential electricity bills. and to review their existing authorities to identify necessary actions that can be taken under those authorities.
The regulators were directed to submit their review in a joint memorandum to the Office of the Governor by Friday, July 17. Abbott also pointed to an additional step: the PUC will initiate action to reduce residential ratepayer transmission costs by Friday, July 31.
The push from state leaders follows months of growing local resistance to rapid data center expansion across Texas. Residents have criticized what they see as strain on the state’s power grid—overseen by ERCOT—and on the water supply. Some cities have even tried to halt construction.
Age differences stand out sharply in the new polling.
Among 18- to 29-year-olds, 39% support building a data center, while 24% oppose it. Support narrows among voters aged 30-44, where 33% support and 28% oppose. Then the balance shifts more decisively among older Texans: voters aged 45-64 show 24% support and 32% oppose. and those 65 and older are the most resistant. with 20% supporting local construction and 33% opposing it.
Public unease over data centers also intersects with how Texans view artificial intelligence’s broader economic effects. Nearly half of voters—49%—expect AI to negatively impact the economy, compared with 29% who anticipate a positive effect. Another 5% expect no impact, while 17% have no opinion.
Party divisions are visible, but they don’t neatly mirror the broader backlash over data centers.
Republicans are closely divided on AI, with 38% expecting a positive impact and 40% expecting a negative impact. Democrats are more consolidated in their expectations, with 61% expecting AI to negatively impact the economy and 21% expecting a positive impact. Independents sit between the two groups: 15% expect AI to have a positive impact, while 47% anticipate negative consequences.
Abbott’s letter also lays out a longer timeline that reaches beyond current regulator action. He indicated he would work with the 90th Texas Legislature, which convenes in January 2027, to codify the PUC’s actions to require data centers to pay for their own electric infrastructure costs.
The proposal includes additional requirements aimed at both electricity and water. Abbott directed regulators and, later, lawmakers to ensure data centers add to Texas’s electric capacity—not just demand. He also called for new data centers to be built with water-efficient technologies such as closed-loop cooling systems. and for large data centers to annually report electricity and water usage data to the PUC.
The plan goes further into incentives and community impacts. Abbott said the state should repeal sales tax exemptions and other outdated or unnecessary incentives for data centers. He also asked that data centers reduce impacts on local communities by using best practices such as setbacks. noise-reduction technology and other measures.
Taken together, the poll and Abbott’s directives show how quickly Texas is turning a public argument about data centers into a question of regulation, infrastructure costs, and daily living—something more voters are choosing to resist than support.
Texas data centers Greg Abbott PUC ERCOT polling University of Texas Texas Politics Project electricity infrastructure ratepayers water supply AI economic impact 90th Texas Legislature