The Gardner Food and Agricultural Policy Survey found that concern about water, electricity and the conversion of agricultural land grew from February to August 2026 across all parties, with more than 60% of Democrats "very worried" in August.
Americans' concern about the development of artificial intelligence and data centers grew across the board between February and August 2026, according to the Gardner Food and Agricultural Policy Survey (GFAPS), which polls 1,000 adults per wave. Respondents of all political affiliations reported growing levels of unease about excessive water consumption, rising electricity costs and the conversion of agricultural land for data center siting, with Democrats as the most concerned group.
The analysis, prepared by Mark White, Sarah Low, Jonathan Coppess and Maria Kalaitzandonakes and originally published by Farmdoc, comes amid the expansion of AI infrastructure since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022. Monthly spending on data centers rose from less than $1 billion in November 2022 to $5.4 billion per month in August 2026, according to Our World in Data.
The results come from waves 16 (February 2026) and 18 (August 2026) of the quarterly survey. In wave 16, 34% identified as Republican, 34% as Democrat and 32% as independent or other; in wave 18, the composition was 34% Republicans, 37% Democrats and 29% independents or others. Participants rated on a scale of 1 to 7 their level of concern about three consequences: the conversion of agricultural land for data centers, excessive water use and rising electricity costs.
Across all political groups, most respondents expressed concern. Democrats registered the highest levels, with an average rating above 5.5 out of 7 on the impact on agricultural land use, water consumption and electricity costs. Republicans and independents showed similar levels of concern about water and electricity, while Republicans were somewhat more concerned than independents about agricultural land use.
The intensity of that unease also increased. Between February and August 2026, the share of respondents "very worried" — those who marked 6 or 7 on the scale — approached or exceeded 50% across all topics and political groups. In August, more than 60% of Democrats described themselves as very worried about electricity costs, water use and the conversion of agricultural land. Among Republicans and independents, almost 57% were very worried about electricity, while concern about land and water hovered around 50%.
Concern about the conversion of agricultural land was the fastest-growing between February and August, with increases of 20 percentage points among Democrats, 17.3 among Republicans and 15.4 among independents. This increase coincided with a period in which developers are seeking available sites, often in rural areas: the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reported that in West Texas agricultural production is slowing due to the conversion of acreage to data centers and alternative energy, and nearly one quarter of the farm managers surveyed by the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers indicated they had been contacted by developers in the first half of 2026.
In contrast to the concerns, perceptions of the local benefits of data centers remained lukewarm, although political affiliation played a role. Republicans were more likely to call themselves "very optimistic" — marking 6 or 7 on the 1-to-7 scale — than Democrats and independents on the four benefits surveyed: higher local tax revenue, jobs, business opportunities for local firms and suppliers, and infrastructure improvements such as roads, utilities and broadband. Their greater optimism centered on local tax revenue. At the opposite end, only 20% of independents were very optimistic about those benefits, a figure notably lower than that of Republicans or Democrats.
The authors conclude that concern about electricity, water and the conversion of agricultural land is shared across the political spectrum and that, while Republicans tend to be somewhat more optimistic about the benefits, that optimism does not fully offset the broader concerns. Given the volume of current and planned investments in AI infrastructure, they expect public concern to persist beyond the 2026 election cycle and AI and its infrastructure to remain relevant topics in public debate and policymaking. The survey will continue monitoring attitudes, including in the post-election period.
