U.S. Voters Back Restrictions on Data Center Development in Midterm Elections
Voters and candidates across the US increasingly opposed unrestricted data center development in midterm elections. Exit polling found that 76 percent of voters opposed data centers in their communities, while dozens of local ballot measures adopted moratoriums, bans, or other restrictions tied to energy, water, and environmental impacts.
Data center development emerged as a significant election issue, with NBC News exit polling finding that 76 percent of voters opposed data centers in their communities. According to results compiled by Redbud Consulting, 33 of 45 local ballot measures addressing data centers were expected to restrict development, including a 180-day moratorium supported by voters in Wells, Maine, bans on facilities above 25 megawatts in several Ohio cities, and a 10-year ban on facilities exceeding 10 megawatts in El Dorado, Kansas.
Candidates in states including Texas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maine, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Iowa, and South Carolina campaigned on moratoriums, development pauses, removal of tax incentives, or requirements that developers pay for energy and water infrastructure. The article notes that some elected officials, including Florida Gov.-elect Byron Donalds and Iowa Gov.-elect Rob Sand, opposed outright moratoriums, but data center expansion nonetheless became a campaign issue and is likely to face continued pressure for local control and environmental safeguards.