Are Data Centers Shifting Tennesseans’ Attitudes on Economic Development?

By Abigail Tacker

Tennessee isn’t immune to the data center concerns sweeping the nation. The Beacon Center’s current legal case, ExoticRidge v. Hawkins County, is just one example of the backlash these projects are facing.

The latest Beacon Poll asked Tennesseans what they think about incentivizing data centers to come to the Volunteer State. Unsurprisingly, they didn’t think of this plan favorably. 61% of respondents said they oppose tax incentives for data centers. Opposition holds across political parties; Republicans, Democrats, and Independents all oppose the idea more than they favor it. Only 5% reported strongly supporting it.

There was another finding in the Beacon Poll that showed even stronger results. There have been proposals to require data centers to provide their own energy infrastructure for new sites. We asked Tennesseans if the same rule should apply to all large corporations, not just data centers. Over 70% said they supported the idea, with similar majority support across political parties. 

Data centers on their own create controversy, as seen in our findings. This sentiment seemingly extends beyond that to corporate welfare in general. Requiring all large corporations to bring their own energy received much more support than the question just about data centers.

Beacon is going to find out if this is signaling Tennesseans’ attitudes towards corporate welfare in our next poll. We’ll be asking taxpayers outright if they support corporate welfare and the reasons behind their response.

What do you think about your tax dollars funding large corporations or data centers? Tell us below!