A city near Los Angeles has become the nation’s second city to approve a comprehensive ban on data centers, according to recent voting results.
On Tuesday, approximately 86 percent of voters in Monterey Park—a city of 60,000 located about 10 miles east of downtown Los Angeles—voted to prohibit all data centers within city limits. The measure aims to protect air quality, drinking water resources, and public health while preventing impacts on electricity and water rates.
The ban follows a proposed data center project in Monterey Park that was withdrawn earlier this year after the city council enacted a moratorium on such constructions.
Data center restrictions have gained momentum across the country as communities push back against sprawling server warehouses integral to the artificial intelligence boom. A Wisconsin city passed a referendum targeting large-scale data center projects in April, requiring those receiving tax incentives to secure voter approval after the construction of a local campus that had benefited from such incentives.
Several state legislatures are also considering moratoriums on data center development, though none have been enacted yet. Maine lawmakers previously passed a data center ban that was vetoed by Governor Janet Mills (D). The New York Legislature is poised to pass a one-year ban, but it remains uncertain whether Governor Kathy Hochul (D) will support the measure.
“The other cities facing data center proposals are going to follow suit,” stated Elizabeth Yang, the city’s mayor. “There’s a bad reputation across the board from data centers built in neighborhoods.”
Monterey Park is believed to be only the second city in the nation to pass an anti-data center referendum, following a vote in a small Milwaukee suburb in April. The Data Center Coalition, an industry association, has indicated it is unaware of any other similar measures.
The upswing in opposition stands out in California, which is a key market for data centers and home to Silicon Valley. “The data center industry will continue to work with California residents, communities, and policymakers to support the responsible development of this critical infrastructure and ensure California remains competitive in the modern economy,” said Khara Boender, director of state policy for the Data Center Coalition.
The vote provided environmental advocates with rare positive news during a challenging primary election cycle. Green groups’ gubernatorial favorite, billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer, trailed both establishment Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton in initial results, while progressive candidates on other ballot measures appeared poised to lose to opponents backed by the fossil fuel industry.
Nationwide organizers have signaled eagerness to adopt similar bans to counter the rapid expansion of infrastructure for artificial intelligence. Efforts include a campaign to place a statewide data center ban on Ohio’s ballot and local initiatives in Georgia, Maryland, and Utah.
Andrea Vega, a Southern California organizer with Food & Water Watch, noted: “What we’re seeing in Monterey Park can be an early step in this being replicated across other parts of the country.”