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California City Voters Ban Data Centers Permanently

By PulseAugur Editorial · [3 sources] ·

Monterey Park, California voters have overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to permanently ban data centers within city limits. This marks the first time U.S. voters have enacted such a prohibition, with 86% support for the measure. The ban was driven by resident concerns over power demand, environmental impact, noise, and proximity to homes, leading to the withdrawal of a proposed large-scale facility by developer HMC StratCap. AI

IMPACT Sets a precedent for community opposition to AI infrastructure, potentially influencing site selection and increasing regulatory hurdles for data center development nationwide.

RANK_REASON First voter-enacted municipal ban on data center development in the US. [lever_c_demoted from significant: ic=2 ai=0.4]

Read on Data Center Knowledge →

AI-generated summary · Google Gemini · from 3 sources. How we write summaries →

California City Voters Ban Data Centers Permanently

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First voter-enacted municipal ban on data center development in the US. [lever_c_demoted from significant: ic=2 ai=0.4]
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3 independent sources
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policy, other
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96 days old
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COVERAGE [3]

  1. Data Center Knowledge TIER_1 English(EN) ·

    California City Approves First Voter-Enacted Data Center Ban

    Monterey Park residents overwhelmingly backed a ballot measure prohibiting data centers, locking in a ban after months of opposition to a proposed 247,000-square-foot facility.

  2. Data Center Knowledge TIER_1 English(EN) ·

    California City Approves First Voter-Enacted Data Center Ban

    Monterey Park residents overwhelmingly backed a ballot measure prohibiting data centers, locking in a ban after months of opposition to a proposed 247,000 sq.ft facility.

  3. The Guardian — AI TIER_1 English(EN) · Sanya Mansoor ·

    In first, California city overwhelmingly votes to permanently ban datacenters

    <p>While many US city councils have passed moratoriums, Monterey Park is first where residents have voted on a ban</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://viewer.gutools.co.uk/news/2026/feb/17/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=…

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