US voters back dozens of curbs on AI data centers

More than 30 U.S. localities across nine states voted on November 3 to slow or constrain data-center construction, through measures ranging from temporary pauses and outright bans to energy limits, project reviews, and required voter approval. The votes were local, and some were advisory rather than immediately enforceable, but their common target was the huge server campuses that companies are racing to build for AI. Residents have increasingly questioned whether new facilities will strain power grids, raise utility costs, consume water, add noise, or replace open land; candidates who promised slower expansion also won races. The result does not stop the national buildout, but it makes clear that access to capital and chips is not enough: AI infrastructure increasingly depends on local permission and credible answers about who bears its costs.