Poll finds voters deeply skeptical of data centers across political spectrum, want Illinois General Assembly to regulate data center operations
ILLINOIS — A new statewide poll of likely 2026 voters shows the POWER Act (SB4016/HB5513) enjoys broad, bipartisan support across Illinois. Nearly 70 percent of voters support legislation to hold data centers accountable after hearing just a brief description of the bill, with support rising as voters learn more. The POWER Act earns the support of large majorities of Independents, Republicans, and those outside of the Chicagoland area.
Voter support for the POWER Act is motivated by deep skepticism of data centers, Big Tech, and AI. The data centers themselves are unpopular across the political spectrum with -21 net favorability. This is in marked contrast to voters’ views on clean energy, which comes in at 75 percent favorability.
“Voters of all political persuasions support the POWER Act because it will ensure working people aren’t left footing the bill for data centers,” said Christine Nannicelli on behalf of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition. “It puts commonsense guardrails in place to end backroom deals, hold data centers accountable for the power and water they use, and guarantee they’re paying what they should. With skyrocketing utility costs and data centers using more and more power, voters are sending a clear message to legislators to pass the POWER Act this spring.”
Cost concerns are a major driver of voter opinion, with 52 percent naming rising utility costs as a top concern tied to data centers, but they’re not the whole story. Support for the POWER Act grows even stronger when voters learn about its provisions.
After hearing details like how the legislation cracks down on backroom deals, requires data centers to bring their own clean energy, protects water resources, and ensures local protections for public health, support for the POWER Act rises to 75 percent statewide. All major provisions of the POWER Act enjoy anywhere from 79-95 percent support.
The poll also finds a clear political upside for elected officials: by a double-digit margin, voters say they would view their legislator more favorably for supporting the POWER Act.
The poll was conducted by Global Strategy Group from March 16–19, 2026 among 800 likely Illinois voters and has a margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points.
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