US voters widely reject data center construction in local referendums

US voters roundly reject data centers in ballot measures

Voters in more than 30 places across nine US states backed pauses, bans or limits on data center construction on Tuesday, with some measures aimed at projects already under way. Edgewater, Florida wrote a data center ban into its city charter, and Perry, Ohio imposed financial and operational limits on hyperscalers seeking tax breaks. Banks and asset managers that finance construction now treat local opposition as a credit risk.

Why it matters: Voters in several US states passed data center bans or limits, and lenders now count local opposition as a credit risk for AI infrastructure financing.