By Ethan Faverino |

A majority of Arizona voters oppose additional large data center development, with opposition becoming even stronger when voters are asked to weigh economic benefits against concerns over water, electricity, and infrastructure, according to a new poll from Noble Predictive Insights.

The Arizona Public Opinion Pulse (AZPOP), conducted August 10-13, among 1,040 registered Arizona voters, including 923 likely voters, found that 57% of registered voters oppose additional large data centers in the state. Thirty percent support additional development, while 13% remain unsure.

Opposition was particularly strong, with 35% of voters saying they strongly oppose additional large data centers compared with 9% who strongly support them.

The poll also found that voters become substantially more opposed when presented with the potential tradeoffs associated with data center development.

Sixty-one percent said Arizona should limit additional data center development because of concerns over water use, electricity demand, and infrastructure costs. Just 18% said the state should encourage additional development because of potential investment and tax revenue.

The poll found support for limiting additional data center development across all major political groups.

Fifty-four percent of Republicans, 71% of Democrats, and 61% of Independents said Arizona should limit additional development when water, electricity, and infrastructure concerns were included in the question.

The preference for limits also crossed ideological lines. Seventy-eight percent of liberals, 60% of moderates, and 52% of conservatives favored limiting additional development.

Even among Republicans who identify more strongly with President Trump than the Republican Party, 51% favored limits, compared with 32% who favored encouraging additional development.

The divide among Republicans was more pronounced when voters were simply asked whether they supported or opposed additional data centers.

Among registered Republicans, 42% supported additional development and 46% opposed it.

Trump-first Republicans supported additional data centers 49% to 37%, while Republicans who identified more closely with the party than Trump opposed additional development 53% to 37%.

However, both groups shifted toward limiting development when the question included concerns about water, electricity, and infrastructure.

The results were also similar across different types of communities. Fifty-nine percent of urban voters, 62% of suburban voters, and 64% of rural voters favored limiting additional data center development.

The Center Square reported that at least six Arizona local governments — Chandler, Marana, Phoenix, Mesa, Mohave County, and Tucson — have enacted regulations governing data centers.

Founder and CEO of Noble Predictive Insights, Mike Noble said the findings could make data center development an increasingly important issue for Arizona policymakers and candidates, particularly as voters weigh the industry’s economic benefits against concerns over the state’s water, electricity, and infrastructure capacity.

“Data centers have moved from an economic-development talking point to a test of governing competence,” Noble said. “The candidate who can show voters a credible plan for water, electricity, and infrastructure will have the advantage on this issue.”

Despite the polling results, supporters of continued data center development argue that Arizona should not respond to public concerns by restricting an industry they say can bring investment, jobs, and tax revenue into the state.

Jen Springman, coalition’s manager for the Goldwater Institute, told The Center Square that Arizona should continue its traditional approach of encouraging economic development and innovation.

“We don’t hold back entrepreneurs with overregulation,” Springman said. “That’s been Arizona’s recipe for success. Arizona cannot and should not turn away from that. That’s exactly what will happen if we allow fear of data centers to scare us into shutting down development.”

Springman argued that some of the opposition to data centers has been driven by misinformation and said existing facilities are already operating in Arizona while providing jobs and contributing to the state’s economy.

She acknowledged concerns about electricity, water, and land use but argued that those issues should be addressed without halting development.

Regarding water use, Springman said newer data centers can use closed-loop recycling systems and dry-air cooling to reduce consumption. She also pointed to the potential for data centers to generate significant tax revenue and provide high-paying jobs.

The debate comes as Arizona faces growing pressure over how to accommodate the rapidly expanding demand for data centers while balancing their effects on power, water, and other infrastructure.

Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.