Environmental Polling Roundup – October 23, 2026
Headlines
Fossil Free Media + Data for Progress – Voters across party lines continue to say that oil and gas companies should help pay for climate-related damages [Website, Crosstabs]
Washington Post + ABC News + Ipsos – Large majorities of Americans oppose data centers, both in their communities and in the U.S. more broadly; most now say that their utility bills are unaffordable [Article, Topline]
[Battleground States] Climate Equity Action Fund + LCV – Black and Latino voters in battleground states rank the cost of living far above all other priorities and believe that producing more clean energy would be the most effective way to reduce their energy costs [Release, Deck]
Key Takeaways
Americans are turning on data centers beyond their own communities. A new poll by the Washington Post, ABC News, and Ipsos finds that Americans oppose the construction of new data centers in their communities by a 47-point margin (25% support / 72% oppose) and even oppose the construction of new data centers in the U.S. by a greater than two-to-one margin (30% support / 66% oppose). A recent poll by Climate Power similarly found that more voters oppose than support building data centers in the U.S. in general.
Findings like these show that there is far more to the data center backlash than NIMBYism, as Americans are deeply concerned about the impacts of AI and dislike the big tech and AI companies behind the data center buildout. And while we’ve seen scant polling on the permitting reform bill that Congress may take up after the midterms, all of the polling on data centers strongly suggests that the bill could become politically toxic if the narrative that it will speed up data center expansion takes hold.
Voters continue to reject legal immunity for oil and gas companies’ climate damages. Fossil Free Media and Data for Progress find continued cross-partisan support for making oil and gas companies pay a share of climate-related damages, and the idea of granting legal immunity to these companies to shield them for climate-related lawsuits accordingly remains unpopular across the political spectrum.
As is, voters feel that big oil and gas companies–even more than other corporations–yield outsized influence over the law and politics. A poll by Navigator over the summer found that more voters chose the oil and gas industry than any other as the “most corrupt” industry in the country, “in terms of using its money and influence to rig the rules in its favor.”
Full Roundup
Fossil Free Media + Data for Progress – Voters across party lines continue to say that oil and gas companies should help pay for climate-related damages [Website, Crosstabs]
Most voters believe that climate change will financially impact them. The majority of voters (57%) say that climate change will at least “somewhat” impact them and their family financially, including most Democrats (79%) and independents (60%) but only around one-third of Republicans (34%).
Higher energy and food prices are the most intuitive financial impacts of climate change. Voters who expect financial impacts from climate change perceive the greatest impacts on utility bills, food prices, and gas/transportation costs. Below are the percentages (among voters who expect climate change to financially impact them) who say that climate change is likely to affect various costs:
- Utility bills – 74% say that they could increase as a result of climate change
- Food prices or grocery bills – 66%
- Gas prices or transportation costs – 63%
- Housing costs – 47%
- Home insurance rates – 38%
- Health care costs – 38%
- Property maintenance or repair costs – 38%
Voters continue to blame high energy costs on corporate greed, the Trump administration, and the war in Iran more than other factors. Below are the percentages who rate various groups and factors as “very” responsible for recent increases in energy costs, including higher electric or gas utility bills and higher costs of gasoline:
- The war in Iran and other global conflicts – 48%
- The Trump administration’s policies – 43%
- Oil and gas companies increasing profits – 42%
- Utility companies and their executives increasing profits – 41%
- Electricity demand from AI data centers – 39%
- Higher returns for energy company shareholders – 33%
- Rising energy demand in general – 32%
- Extreme weather events, like heat waves or extreme storms – 30%
Democrats and independents place more blame on the Trump administration than any other item on this list, with 62% of Democrats and 50% of independents saying that the Trump administration’s policies are “very responsible” for rising energy costs. Meanwhile, only 18% of Republican voters say that the Trump administration is “very” responsible for the problem.
Republicans instead assign the most blame for high energy costs to utility companies and their executives increasing their profits (35% “very responsible”), the war in Iran and other global conflicts (35%), oil and gas companies increasing profits (34%), and electricity demand from AI data centers (34%).
Voters across party lines continue to reject legal immunity for oil and gas companies and say that these companies should pay their fair share of the costs of climate damages. Seven in ten voters (72%) say that they support requiring oil and gas companies to pay a share of costs for climate-related damages, including majorities of Democrats (83%), independents (74%), and Republicans (60%).
Accordingly, when they’re informed that some oil and gas companies “have pushed for legislation that would provide them with legal immunity from lawsuits for damages caused by climate change,” voters oppose the idea by a wide margin (29% support / 63% oppose). Again, this sentiment spans the partisan spectrum with majorities of Democrats (24% support / 70% oppose), independents (19% support / 71% oppose), and Republicans (40% support / 52% oppose) opposed to granting legal immunity to oil and gas companies.
Washington Post + ABC News + Ipsos – Large majorities of Americans oppose data centers, both in their communities and in the U.S. more broadly; most now say that their utility bills are unaffordable [Article, Topline]
Americans remain pessimistic about AI, though Republicans are more hopeful than others. Most Americans (57%) believe that AI is bad for society, compared to 42% who say that it’s good for society. Majorities of Democrats (36% good thing / 63% bad thing) and independents (41% good thing / 58% bad thing) are pessimistic about the technology’s societal impacts, though Republicans are slightly more likely to say that AI will be a good thing for society (51%) than a bad thing (47%).
Americans of all political affiliations say that the government needs to regulate AI more strongly. Around two-thirds of Americans (67%) believe that the federal government is currently not doing enough to regulate the growth and development of AI technology. This includes majorities of Democrats (80%), independents (66%), and Republicans (54%).
A growing share of Americans now describe their utility bills as “unaffordable.” The majority of Americans (57%) now say that their home energy and utilities are “unaffordable,” representing a 12-point increase since February (45%).
In that same time span, the share of Americans describing gasoline as “unaffordable” has increased by 43 points (71%, up from 28% in February) and the percentage describing groceries as “unaffordable” has increased by 15 points (60%, up from 45% in February).
Americans widely oppose data centers, both in their own communities and in the U.S. in general. Americans oppose the construction of new data centers in their communities by a 47-point margin (25% support / 72% oppose), including a 63-point margin of opposition among Democrats (18% support / 81% oppose), a 56-point margin of opposition among independents (20% support / 76% oppose), and an 18-point margin of opposition among Republicans (40% support / 58% oppose).
And even when asked about building new data centers in the U.S. more broadly, Americans oppose them by a greater than two-to-one margin (30% support / 66% oppose). Large majorities of Democrats (22% support / 76% oppose) and independents (25% support / 69% oppose) say that they oppose building data centers in the U.S., while Republicans are split on the topic (48% support / 50% oppose).
[Battleground States] Climate Equity Action Fund + LCV – Black and Latino voters in battleground states rank the cost of living far above all other priorities and believe that producing more clean energy would be the most effective way to reduce their energy costs [Release, Deck]
The cost of living ranks well above all other concerns for Black and Latino voters in battleground states. In this survey of Black and Latino voters across seven politically competitive states (AZ, GA, MI, NC, NV, OH, and PA), seven in ten (72%) say that the cost of living is one of the three most important issues motivating their vote in the midterm elections.
Among Black voters, the cost of living (74%) ranks 28 points ahead of any other priority and is followed by health care access (46%), racism and discrimination (34%), and crime (25%).
Among Latino voters, the cost of living (69%) ranks 34 points ahead of any other issue. The next tier of priorities for Latino voters in the battleground includes health care access (35%), taxes (29%), and immigration (26%).
Climate change (chosen by 9% of Black voters and 12% of Latino voters as a top-three issue) and air and water pollution (chosen by 6% of Black voters and 9% of Latino voters) rank fairly low as electoral priorities for Black and Latino voters in the battleground, though food safety (chosen by 22% of Black voters and 20% of Latino voters) rates as a mid-tier issue for both audiences.
Lowering energy costs accordingly ranks ahead of pollution and climate change as a voting priority for Black and Latino voters in battleground states. Around half of Black and Latino voters in these states (51%) say that it’s “very important” that candidates who they’re considering this year prioritize lowering energy costs, compared to 46% who say that it’s “very important” that candidates prioritize reducing air and water pollution and 42% who say that it’s “very important” that candidates prioritize addressing climate change.
Black and Latino voters choose clean energy production as the most effective way to lower their energy costs. When asked what kind of impact they believe policies to promote clean energy would have on their utility bills, pluralities of Black voters (23% go up / 27% stay the same / 35% go down) and Latino voters (22% go up / 30% stay the same / 37% go down) in battleground states say that these policies would make their utility bills more affordable.
And when asked to choose up to two policies that they believe would reduce their energy costs the most, both Black and Latino voters rank clean energy expansion above all other policy solutions.
Below are Black voters’ rankings of the most effective ways to reduce their energy costs, when asked to choose up to two items from a list of policies:
- Producing more clean energy like solar and wind power – 41%
- Oversight of price gouging from utility companies – 29%
- Making peace with foreign countries that supply oil and gas – 29%
- Regulating data center energy consumption – 27%
- Taxing oil and gas companies – 15%
- Producing more oil and gas domestically by fracking – 13%
- Publicly owned utilities – 13%
And below are the rankings among Latino voters:
- Producing more clean energy like solar and wind power – 43%
- Oversight of price gouging from utility companies – 27%
- Making peace with foreign countries that supply oil and gas – 27%
- Regulating data center energy consumption – 25%
- Taxing oil and gas companies – 19%
- Producing more oil and gas domestically by fracking – 18%
- Publicly owned utilities – 11%
Black and Latino voters in battleground states recognize that climate change is causing extreme weather. While they don’t prioritize climate change as much as energy affordability, these audiences do recognize that climate change is having an impact right now. Around three in five Black and Latino voters in the battleground (62%) believe that weather is getting more extreme as a result of climate change, compared to only 21% who believe that weather is getting more extreme for other reasons and just 8% who deny that weather is getting more extreme.
Many Black and Latino voters in the battleground say that Trump is making pollution worse, though there is clear room to raise awareness. A majority (54%) say that contamination of food, water, and air is getting worse as a result of actions by the Trump administration and around half (49%) say that the Trump administration is making water and air pollution worse.
In our own research, we’ve found that Americans–including Black and Latino voters–are more familiar with the Trump administration’s actions to reverse climate and clean energy policies than its attacks on clean water and air regulations.
Safe food, water, and air are the top environmental concerns for Black and Latino voters in the battleground. As with other audiences, Black and Latino voters prioritize environmental problems with clear and direct health impacts.
Below are the percentages who say that they are “very” concerned about various problems related to the environment:
- Having food that is safe to eat – 68% “very” concerned
- Having safe water to drink – 66%
- Having safe air to breathe – 66%
- Lack of food safety regulations – 63%
- Water pollution – 60%
- Data centers driving up energy costs – 54%
- Lack of accountability for polluting corporations – 52%
- Air pollution – 51%
- Climate disasters like droughts and wildfires – 51%
- Public lands being sold to corporations – 48%
- The U.S. relying on foreign countries for gas and oil – 47%
Consistent with these findings, the survey tested a variety of environmental messages to motivate these audiences to vote and found that the most motivating statement was one that directly referenced safe food, water, and air: “We all deserve clean and safe water to drink, food to eat, and air to breathe. But corrupt politicians are letting corporations pollute our air and water – poisoning us and our families. We need to vote for leaders who prioritize our health over their own power and profit.”
Black and Latino voters in battleground states have mixed attitudes about whether communities of color face disproportionate environmental harms. Roughly half of Black voters in these states (48%) say that Black and Latino communities face more harmful effects of climate change and pollution, compared to 39% who believe that Black and Latino communities are impacted about the same amount as other communities.
Latino voters, meanwhile, are more likely to say that Black and Latino communities face the same amount of harm from climate change and pollution as other communities (48%) than to say that Black and Latino communities are more impacted by these problems (37%).
Related Resources
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