Public opposition to data centers is hardening into a national political issue, not just local zoning fights, according to a new survey cited by Milltown Partners and other monitoring efforts. The finding that only 8% of Americans who oppose data centers actually live near one underscores how “AI backlash” sentiment is being exported into communities far from construction. The reporting also points to delays and blocks tied to data center resistance—particularly in 2026—alongside a surge in proposed moratoriums across states. Tech companies have responded with localized outreach campaigns, but the analysis suggests sentiment is outpacing geography. For universities and research campuses, this creates second-order effects: procurement timelines, sustainability planning, and the availability of large-scale compute that increasingly underpins AI-enabled instruction and research.