IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/socsci/v107y2026i5ne70196.html

Balancing Growth and Impact: A Conjoint Analysis of Public Preferences for Data Center Policy

Author

Listed:
  • Fengxiu Zhang
  • Shuping Wang
  • Saba Siddiki
  • David W. S. Wong
  • Jie Xu

Abstract

Objective This study examines public preferences for policy provisions governing the siting, construction, and operation of data centers. Method Drawing directly on Virginia's 2024–2025 legislative portfolio on data centers, we employ a conjoint experimental design to examine public preferences for alternative policy provisions on data centers. Data were collected through a 2025 survey of 1004 Virginia residents. Results We find broad public support for regulatory oversight of data centers, but the magnitude of support varies across policy provisions. Respondents show the strongest preferences for policy provisions addressing direct, immediate, and visible issues related to data centers, including undergrounding new transmission lines near homes, restricting data center development in sensitive areas, mandating report of water and energy usage, and requiring public review prior to project approval. Support is comparatively weaker for policy provisions addressing less visible or more technically complex issues, including electricity rate setting and environmental impact assessments. Subgroup analyses further reveal that heterogeneity in policy preferences is associated more strongly with individual characteristics—including education, race, age, and political ideology—than with regional context.

Suggested Citation

  • Fengxiu Zhang & Shuping Wang & Saba Siddiki & David W. S. Wong & Jie Xu, 2026. "Balancing Growth and Impact: A Conjoint Analysis of Public Preferences for Data Center Policy," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 107(5), September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:107:y:2026:i:5:n:e70196
    DOI: 10.1111/ssqu.70196
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.70196
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/ssqu.70196?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:socsci:v:107:y:2026:i:5:n:e70196. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0038-4941 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.