While most election-night focus has been on Democratic control of Congress, voters in 10 states decided 41 local ballot measures on data center development. These results almost unanimously skewed against data center development.
State legislatures are likely to propose many changes in 2027, and these ballot measures preview actions states will likely take next year.
Key Approved Measures
Grove City, Ohio – Mandatory public referendum for large industrial projects, including data centers.
Janesville, Wisconsin – The proposed $8 billion, 800-megawatt data center campus on the former GM site, or any other project above $450 million there, now requires a popular vote.
Perry, Ohio – Hyperscale developers seeking tax incentives must post financial guarantees backing their promised jobs, tax revenue, and community payments. The ordinance also adds noise limits.
Wells, Maine – Retroactive 180-day moratorium put in place on facilities of 100,000 square feet or more.
Ottawa, Kansas – Prohibits the construction of any data center that uses more than 25 megawatts of power within city limits.
Conneaut, Defiance, Oregon, and Sunbury, Ohio – Prohibit data centers above 25 megawatts.
Granville, Hubbard, and Urbana, Ohio – Prohibit data centers within the municipality.
Pataskala and Trenton, Ohio – Prohibit large-scale data centers.
Piqua and Upper Sandusky, Ohio – Charter amendments prohibiting data center construction.
Alhambra, California – Prohibits data centers in the city.
Edgewater, Florida – Charter amendment barring new data centers from being approved, built, expanded, or operated.
El Dorado, Kansas – Prohibits high-impact data centers and Type 2/3 battery storage.
Emporia, Kansas – Prohibits high-impact data centers.
North Berwick, Maine – Prohibits data centers of 25,000 square feet or more.
Peru, Maine – 180-day moratorium on development and permitting.
Wiscasset, Maine – Six-month moratorium on new or expanded data center applications.
Bloomington, Illinois – Advises a moratorium on large-scale data centers.
Morgan County, Illinois – Advises restrictions on data centers.