Data center backlash set to sway midterms
Opposition to data centers has expanded from local planning and city council debates into a significant issue in state and federal elections. Voters in at least three dozen communities are expected to consider ballot measures that could ban data centers, while Meta is cited as developing a facility in Lebanon.
Backlash against data centers has intensified during the current election cycle, moving beyond local planning commission and city council meetings to become an issue in state and federal campaigns. Candidates who previously promoted data centers for their economic benefits have moderated or reversed their positions as concerns spread among voters from both major parties.
At least three dozen cities, counties and townships are expected to consider November ballot measures that could prohibit data center development. The article also references Meta’s data center under construction in Lebanon, Indiana, as an example of the projects driving the broader debate.