US Voters Reject or Restrict Data Center Projects Amid Concerns Over Costs and Resources
The video examines nationwide voter backlash against data center expansion, linking concerns over electricity bills, water supplies and community impacts to the 2026 midterm elections. It highlights the rejection of a data center proposal in Joliet Township, Illinois, restrictions approved in Ohio communities, and opposition to Amazon's proposed $2 billion project in Sunbury, Ohio.
The report says voters in more than 40 U.S. towns and counties considered ballot measures related to data centers, with at least 10 approving restrictions or bans. Joliet Township, Illinois, rejected a data center proposal by a three-to-one margin, while at least 14 Ohio municipalities backed limits and eight Maine communities approved temporary moratoriums. In Sunbury, Ohio, voters adopted restrictions following Amazon's proposed $2 billion data center project. Harwood, North Dakota, was identified as a notable exception after rejecting restrictions.
The video frames the local disputes as part of a broader debate over who benefits from artificial intelligence investment and who pays for its effects through higher electricity costs, water use and changes to communities. It also cites remarks from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez praising New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's AI data center moratorium and says Texas Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa has promised moratoriums on data center construction. The report presents the election results and local restrictions as evidence that economic growth promises are increasingly being judged against everyday costs.