Voters in at least 29 US communities back curbs on AI data centers
In brief
- At least 29 US jurisdictions backed data-center bans or restrictions Tuesday, The Washington Post reported.
- Ballotpedia tracked 41 data-center measures on November 3 ballots across 10 states.
- All 10 Conserve Ohio charter measures passed; Hubbard voters backed a ban by more than three-quarters.
- Some measures were nonbinding advisory votes that don't automatically stop construction.
A lopsided ballot
Ballotpedia tracked 41 data-center measures on November 3 ballots across 10 states. Of those, 28 were framed so a yes vote would curb development (the other 13 would permit or support projects).
Not every win carries the same weight, though. Some of the measures were nonbinding advisory votes, which means their passage doesn't automatically stop construction.
Ohio produced the clearest results. All 10 charter measures backed by the grassroots group Conserve Ohio passed, according to the Post, and more than three-quarters of voters in Hubbard, Ohio supported a ban on data centers.
The margins were wide in other towns too. Voters in Granville, Trenton and Sunbury backed restrictions by roughly 78% to 82%. Nearly 80% of voters in Joliet Township, Illinois, rejected an advisory proposal supporting AI data centers, and in Janesville, Wisconsin, more than 60% approved a requirement for another public vote before major development at a former General Motors site linked to a proposed data center.
Power bills, water and politics
It's the electricity that's driving most of this. Data centers' demand for power has turned proposed campuses into local fights over utility bills and grid capacity, Decrypt reported, while opponents also point to water use, noise and deals made without public scrutiny.
The issue reached statewide races as well. Decrypt reported that Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas after campaigning for a moratorium on new data-center projects, and that Ohio governor-elect Amy Acton supports a pause and stricter rules.
Industry pushes back
AI companies haven't settled on one response. Some have stepped up lobbying efforts while others have turned to public relations campaigns, according to Decrypt, which said OpenAI has sought to rebrand data centers as "compute campuses."
Industry leaders have warned that blanket restrictions would put U.S. AI investment at risk. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said last month that a broad moratorium could have serious economic consequences.
"If we have a moratorium of some sort in this country, we will be in a recession," Fink said, as reported by Decrypt.
For now, the fights are local, and some of Tuesday's wins are only advisory.
Frequently asked questions
Do the data-center ballot measures stop construction?
Not all of them. Some of the measures were nonbinding advisory votes, so their passage doesn't automatically stop construction. Others ranged from outright prohibitions to requirements for additional public approval.
Why are voters opposing AI data centers?
Data centers' electricity demand has turned proposed campuses into local fights over utility bills and grid capacity, according to Decrypt. Opponents also cite water use, noise and deals made without public scrutiny.
