Overview
- On Nov. 3 voters in about 10 states and at least 38 local jurisdictions will decide roughly 41 ballot measures that could delay, restrict, or ban new data centers.
- A University of Houston poll found 79% of likely Texas voters support limits on data center growth and 99% say operators should pay for any needed grid expansion.
- Younger voters are especially opposed to local projects, with a University of Pennsylvania survey finding about 70% of adults under 30 against new data centers in their area.
- State actions have followed the local pushback, including New York’s yearlong moratorium and new review processes that aim to assess effects on electricity, water, noise, and land use.
- Despite the backlash, industry construction is growing: measured U.S. data center capacity under construction rose about 48% from Dec. 2025 to June 2026, which experts say lets developers shift sites if local rules block specific projects.