AI data center boom faces backlash at US ballot box
Voters across 10 states are considering ballot measures that would delay, prohibit or impose new requirements on data center development amid concerns about electricity use, water demand and health impacts. In Sunbury, Ohio, a proposed power-use restriction could jeopardize Amazon's planned $2 billion data center project.
Voters in dozens of local jurisdictions across 10 states are preparing to decide ballot measures that would restrict data center construction as communities react to the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure. Ohio has the largest number of data center-related measures, with 21 proposals in more than a dozen jurisdictions, according to Ballotpedia.
Opponents, including Jessica Baker of Conserve Ohio, cite data centers' electricity and water demands and potential health risks. Industry analysts Baron Fung of Dell'Oro Group and John McWilliams of Cushman & Wakefield said restrictions could shift or delay projects but have not yet significantly slowed national construction activity.
In Sunbury, near Columbus, voters will consider a measure that would ban data centers using more than 25 megawatts of power, potentially affecting Amazon's proposed $2 billion development. Amazon public policy lead Shannon Kellogg addressed residents' questions before the vote, while the company said it remains committed to working with local officials and communities.