Overview
- Voters approved restrictions in the vast majority of local data‑center referendums in 2026, with Ballotpedia reporting limits passed in 46 of 47 contests.
- Democrats who campaigned on tighter controls won key governor’s races in states including Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Nevada and Iowa, raising the odds of statewide moratoria or tougher permitting rules.
- The U.S. Senate is weighing bipartisan legislation to speed energy and transmission approvals while requiring large data centers to shoulder more of the costs for grid upgrades.
- Developers and tech firms are offering concessions, redesigns and promises to pay grid costs as investors and lenders grow cautious and analysts warn of project delays, cancellations and higher financing costs.
- The Energy Department estimates data centers used 4.7% of U.S. electricity in 2024 and could reach 11.8% by 2030, which helps explain community worries about higher bills, water use and stressed local power systems.