Voters approve 38 ballot measures restricting data centers across multiple states

According to CBS News Bay Area, voters in California and several other states approved 38 ballot measures restricting data centers as of Wednesday afternoon following the midterm elections. These measures reflect growing public resistance to the rapid development of data centers, which are key to supporting artificial intelligence technologies.

Political research firm Redbud Consulting provided the analysis showing the widespread restrictions passed in states including California, Illinois, Maine, Ohio, and New York. Harwood, North Dakota, was the only community to approve a data center during this election cycle.

Tech analysts cited by CBS News Bay Area say that Democratic victories in several gubernatorial races, some of which included stricter regulation of data centers as a campaign focus, are likely to slow data center development across the U.S. This trend could bring new regulations and increased costs for developers.

A CBS News poll from the summer found that more than twice as many Americans oppose building new data centers in their areas than support them. Industry experts predict the election results will slow the pace of the planned 800 to 1,000 new data centers nationwide that are expected to fuel the AI revolution.

While the analysis highlights Texas as a key state for data center growth, where a Democratic governor candidate proposed a temporary ban on data center construction, the election results overall suggest a potential slowdown in data center expansion nationwide.