Two-thirds of New Jersey voters favor temporarily halting construction of data centers, according to a poll released Tuesday.
The Fairleigh Dickinson University poll, which was sponsored by the International Union of Operating Engineers, is one of the first public surveys in the state to measure voter attitudes toward the centers, which have been a flash point in local politics in New Jersey and around the country.
Sixty-five percent favor a temporary moratorium on the construction of the centers until New Jersey builds more power plants, while 32 percent oppose it. Support for the moratorium is strong across party lines.
“Rightly or wrongly, voters blame data centers for their increased electricity bills,” said poll director Dan Cassino in a statement. “The argument that doing so would hurt the state economy doesn’t help when people are worried about their own finances.”
