| Resource Type | Research Report |
| Author / Source | White, Low, Kalaitzandonakes, and Coppess (University of Illinois Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, farmdoc daily) |
| Publication Date | September 2026 |
| Location | United States |
| Initiative Type | Policy, Partnership |
| Project Complexity | Intermediate |
| Recommended For | Board, Staff, Community Organizations |
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Why This Matters for Rural Electric Co-ops
Although this Gardner Food and Agricultural Policy Survey is built around agricultural policy, its read on rural attitudes speaks directly to co-ops weighing large load growth. It shows public worry about data centers growing quickly over six months, with rural residents most concerned, electricity costs the top worry everywhere, and optimism about local benefits trailing far behind.
For co-ops fielding large load inquiries, this points to real member trust and reputational risk if members believe a new data center will raise their bills. A co-op can use these patterns to anticipate member questions, test its large load protections, and plan how to explain who pays for new infrastructure before a project goes public.
Key Takeaways
| › | Concern rose in every community type and also intensified. In the August wave, six months after the February baseline, more than half of each group was very worried about every issue studied. |
| › | Electricity costs lead every list of worries, which puts co-op rates and cost allocation at the center of local data center debates. |
| › | Rural concern about water use and farmland conversion jumped sharply, a sign that siting and land use can quickly become flashpoints in co-op territories. |
| › | Optimism about jobs, tax revenue, and infrastructure lags well behind concern, and rural residents are less optimistic than urban ones. Promised benefits alone may not win members over. |
Implementation Considerations
- Regulatory or Governance Considerations: Boards should be ready to explain how large load contracts shield existing members. States are moving in different directions on incentives and moratoriums, so the policy backdrop can shift quickly.
- Member Buy-In: Members may assume any data center will raise their rates. Early, plain-language communication about tariff design and cost protections can help, though co-ops should expect pushback even when protections are strong.
- Time-Sensitive Information: Results reflect the February and August 2026 survey waves, and opinion is moving fast. The state actions cited (Illinois incentive pause, New York moratorium) may change, so stay tuned for newer survey waves.
Notable Examples
- New York State: Enacted a temporary statewide moratorium on large-scale data centers through Executive Order No. 62.
- Office of the Governor of Illinois: Paused approval of new state data center tax incentives in a state with one of the largest data center footprints.
- Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ISPFMRA): A mid-year survey found about a quarter of farm managers had been approached by developers seeking farmland for data centers.
- Gardner Food and Agricultural Policy Survey: Quarterly national survey tracking these attitudes, with February baseline results published in June 2026.
- Brookings Institution: Cited for finding that data center job benefits are often overstated beyond the construction phase.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
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