Voters Reject or Restrict Data Center Projects in Nearly 40 Municipalities
Voters in nearly 40 municipalities across 10 states rejected or restricted data center development, with 77% opposing the measures. Organizers cited rising utility bills, pollution, water depletion and environmental justice concerns, particularly in Black and Latino communities.
Voters considered nearly 40 data center-related ballot measures across 10 states, and all but one measure—in Harwood, North Dakota—went against the technology industry. In Joliet, Illinois, nearly 80% of voters supported restricting data center development, while communities elsewhere voted to ban construction or halt planned facilities.
The results reflected mounting concerns about electricity costs, pollution, water depletion and the disproportionate impact of industrial development on communities of color. Organizers including Jamil Davis of Black Voters Matter and Ed FitzGerald of Data Center Resistance characterized the votes as a rejection of unchecked data center expansion, while the article linked the movement to earlier opposition to Elon Musk's xAI facility in Memphis. Tech companies and their allies reportedly outspent local campaigns by roughly 100 to 1, but voters rejected 77% of the measures.