US Voters Broadly Reject Data Center Projects in Local Referendums

Voters across more than 30 localities in nine US states overwhelmingly approved moratoria, bans, or operational limits on data centers during Tuesday's referendums, dealing a direct blow to AI infrastructure expansion. Edgewater, Florida, enacted a data center ban in its city charter, while Perry, Ohio, imposed financial and operational restrictions on hyperscalers seeking tax abatements. Amid the mounting backlash, banks and asset managers financing data center construction have begun treating local pushback as a credit risk, while tech companies are trying to ease resistance by redesigning campus appearances and hiring community liaisons.