THE CRUNCH
Data centre development took a beating at the US midterm elections, with early results showing voters overwhelmingly backing restrictions on new facilities. According to the Data Centers on the Ballot tracker, 33 measures limiting data centre development have already passed, with six more leading. Only one measure, an extra review process for industrial projects in Harwood, North Dakota, has failed so far, while five more await posted results.
The measures on the ballot were varied: outright permanent bans, moratoriums, time-limited pauses and limits based on size or energy consumption. A second tracker covering roughly 46 measures across 10 states found all 33 restriction measures set to pass, while 11 of 13 measures to permit data centre construction look set to fail. The votes also had personal consequences: the mayor and two council members in Piqua, Ohio, and the mayor of Yukon, Oklahoma, were recalled for their earlier positions on data centre bans.
The result is a setback for the Trump administration, which has pushed AI development in the US. The president has taken steps to soften data centres' impact, including requiring them to pay an energy dividend to local communities and securing a "ratepayer protection pledge" from tech companies, state governors and utilities. Polling cited in the reporting suggests 70% of Americans oppose AI data centre build-outs, with voters citing utility price hikes and noise pollution.
There is a caveat, though: it is unclear how much these votes will affect projects already underway. Out of more than 300 local data centre bans enacted across the US, only three developments totalling 2.3 gigawatts have been delayed, and 38 gigawatts are still expected to come online by 2027. The votes could, however, shape future projects, particularly as OpenAI and Anthropic are reportedly chasing smaller 20 to 30 megawatt sites while their hyperscale gigawatt plans face delays.