Monterey Park, California, Enacts Permanent Data Center Ban; New York State Passes Moratorium
Residents in Monterey Park, California, voted to permanently ban data centers, marking the first such ban via ballot measure. This comes as New York State enacted a one-year moratorium on new data centers, requiring environmental impact assessments and labor protections. Meanwhile, Ohio provided $2.3 billion in tax breaks to major tech companies for data centers, and Mississippi customers faced $38 million in energy bill increases for data center infrastructure.
Residents of Monterey Park, California, have overwhelmingly voted to enact a permanent ban on data centers within the city, a decision made through a ballot measure. This marks the first instance of a city banning data centers outright via public vote, with 88.35% of residents supporting the measure. Other Wisconsin cities, Janesville and Port Washington, have also implemented measures requiring voter approval for future data center constructions, indicating a growing trend of local communities asserting control over development.
Concurrently, New York State's legislature passed a one-year moratorium on new data centers as part of its state budget. This pioneering legislation will also necessitate environmental impact assessments for any future data center projects and incorporate labor protection clauses. These measures reflect increasing governmental scrutiny over the social and environmental implications of data center expansion.
In contrast to these restrictive actions, Ohio has allocated $2.3 billion in tax breaks to major technology companies, including Google, Meta, and Amazon, for their data center operations. Simultaneously, Entergy Mississippi customers have reportedly absorbed $38 million in costs for data center-related infrastructure through increased energy bills, highlighting the financial burden on residents due to data center energy demands.