North Dakotans Back Data Centers If Developers Pay
Poll finds 74% support traditional facilities when developers cover local infrastructure costs, while AI data centers draw more opposition.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Data Centers
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Would you support a data center being built in your community if developers paid for infrastructure?
A North Dakota poll of 625 adult residents found more support than opposition for traditional data centers, with weaker and more divided views on AI data centers. The poll was conducted by telephone Oct. 19 through Oct. 21 and the research is survey-based, not a development or policy decision.
Why it matters
Data center expansion depends on local consent and the cost of supporting infrastructure, so public attitudes shape where capacity gets built. The poll suggests that support for traditional facilities is conditional on developers covering local infrastructure costs.
The survey measured attitudes rather than technical performance, so no hardware, power, or capacity specifications are reported. The figures compare support and opposition across traditional and AI data center categories, which the poll treats as distinct.
The players
Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy, Inc.
A Jacksonville, Florida polling firm that conducted the North Dakota survey of 625 adults by telephone.
Arik Spencer
A North Dakota figure cited on the national need to double data center capacity in five years to sustain e-commerce and streaming.
The details
A data center is a facility housing large numbers of servers that run computing workloads, and the poll distinguishes between traditional facilities and AI-focused ones. Respondents were asked about support, opposition, and local infrastructure cost conditions. The poll found the strongest backing for traditional data centers when developers bear the cost of roads, power, and other local infrastructure.
Timeline
Poll interviews were conducted by telephone October 19 through October 21, 2026.
Poll results and the first story in The Data Divide series were published November 6, 2026.
The Tech Race
The poll sits within a broader push to add data center capacity to support digital services, with the state already hosting seven hyperscale facilities built, under construction, or planned. Its results show where that buildout meets local resistance, particularly around AI-focused sites.
Residents who would be affected by a nearby facility may weigh in as projects are proposed, since the poll shows that cost coverage shapes support. No specific project or timeline is reported in the source, so local effects remain unannounced.
The takeaway
Watch whether North Dakota developers commit to covering local infrastructure costs in future proposals, since the poll ties support to that condition. The Data Divide series continues the reporting on these tradeoffs.
Further reading
For more on the infrastructure behind these projects, see Data Centers coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Dickinson Press.
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Would you support a data center being built in your community if developers paid for infrastructure?
