Viewpoints
Public anger about data centers has helped sweep Democrats to victory. But the dust is still settling around data centers.
By Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
November 4, 2026
As America watched a blue wave sweep the country, Elon Musk summed up his thoughts with a single line on X: “data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now.”
Musk’s comments verbalize what has become an undeniable political truth in America: data centers are deeply unpopular, and people want to live far away from them.
Recent polling from Ipsos has revealed that over 70% of Americans oppose data center construction in their communities. That number is unsurprising.
Public anger, especially in rural areas, has boiled over as data centers continue to pop up. In many cases, their arrival forever changes the character of small towns that host them. To make matters worse, the land these data centers often inhabit were once well-known local family farms, sold off due to challenging economic conditions.
Musk’s comments about space aside, data centers here on Earth still remain a core part of America’s digital economy. But the dozens of Democratic victories across the nation mean change is in the wind: like in Texas, where Fiber Light just announced a network expansion that will bring their fiber footprint to the Red Oak data center area near Dallas.
That announcement came a day before Democrat Gina Hinojosa’s stunning upset of incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott in the Texas gubernatorial race. Hinojosa has pledged to extend a statewide moratorium on data center construction in Texas until the state legislature meets in 2027.
Texas isn’t the only state that wants to talk about the amount of resources data centers consume, and the investors pouring money into AI’s growth (the core driver of data center demand) will have other things to think about, too.
For one, public sentiment isn’t just turning against data centers. It’s also growing weary of AI. Polling continues to show that Americans are genuinely worried about AI’s risk factor.
Not long ago, at Broadband Communities Summit, many in telecom were discussing the sheer capital behind AI development and data center construction with astonishment. Dollar amounts seemed not to matter, and investors seemed unconcerned by market stresses. The prevailing sense was that data centers had a blank check from investors.
While I’m not here to proclaim the bursting of any AI bubble, I can say this. Given recent events, that blank check might be coming to an end.
Broadband Communities Summit, co-located with Connected America, brings together the people responsible for planning, developing, building, managing, and future-proofing the nation’s digital infrastructure. It is the premier gathering for the connectivity and telecommunications sector, bringing the entire broadband supply chain together under one roof. Learn more about our 2027 event or book your tickets today.
