North Carolinians Support Data Centers Providing Own Energy, Poll Finds

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A new poll conducted by the Carolina Journal through Harper Polling found that 8 in 10 North Carolinians support requiring artificial intelligence data centers to provide their own energy generation, rather than passing those costs on to ratepayers. The state has seen a surge in data center development in recent years, with major projects from companies like Amazon and Digital Realty.

Why it matters

As North Carolina continues to attract more data center investments, there is growing debate over who should bear the costs of the increased electricity demands. This poll suggests strong public support for policies that would require data centers to be self-sufficient in their energy needs rather than passing those costs to the broader consumer base.

The details

The survey of 600 likely North Carolina voters found that 59.8% were strongly supportive of requiring data centers to provide their own energy generation, while another 18.4% were somewhat supportive. Only 9.9% were opposed. Multiple bills have been introduced in the state legislature to address this issue, including the Escalation of Electricity Demand Act and the Rate Payer Protection Act, but they have stalled in committee. North Carolina currently has 92 data centers, with major recent projects from companies like Amazon and Digital Realty.

• The poll was conducted on Sunday and Monday, March 26-27, 2026.
• The Escalation of Electricity Demand Act was introduced in the North Carolina House of Representatives' Committee on Energy and Public Utilities.
• The Rate Payer Protection Act has been in the Rules Committee since April 14.

What’s next

The North Carolina legislature will likely continue to debate policies around data center energy costs, with the Escalation of Electricity Demand Act and Rate Payer Protection Act still pending in committee.