78% of Likely Maryland Voters Oppose Data Centers in State, UMBC Poll Finds
A new poll released October 8 shows 78% of likely Maryland voters oppose building data centers in the state, according to the UMBC Institute of Politics.
The survey of 776 Marylanders, conducted September 22-27 with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, found only 13% of the 370 likely voters surveyed support data center construction in Maryland. Opposition intensifies closer to home: 77% said they oppose a data center being built in their own community.
The top concern is cost — 80% of respondents said they believe data centers will drive up their electricity bills. Institute Director Mileah Kromer said the results show deep public skepticism toward the industry's local impact.
The findings land as data centers proliferate across the Mid-Atlantic, drawn by tax incentives and proximity to Northern Virginia's massive server-farm corridor, while residents and local officials push back over energy and water demands.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 马里兰州议会大厦（安纳波利斯），图片来源：Wikimedia Commons（CC BY-SA 4.0）
