Monterey Park, California residents voted Tuesday to permanently ban data centers from their city — the first such ban in the United States.
86% of nearly 8,000 voters approved the measure, according to ABC7.
“Shows unequivocally that residents in Monterey Park do not want datacenters in their community.” — Former Mayor Jose Sanchez
The vote followed months of rising tension over a proposed data center that would have consumed three times as much electricity as the rest of the city combined, the Los Angeles Times reported. The facility would have been located less than 500 feet from the nearest home.
Residents cited skyrocketing utility costs, proximity to homes, and environmental concerns as reasons for opposition, according to the Guardian. Monterey Park passed an indefinite moratorium on data center construction in April before Tuesday’s permanent ban.
The backlash is spreading nationwide. Multiple towns have issued temporary or indefinite moratoriums on data center construction, Stateline reports. Voters in Missouri ousted half their city council in April for approving a $6 billion AI data center.
A March 2026 Gallup poll found seven in ten Americans oppose AI data center construction near their homes. Water usage, quality-of-life impacts, and increased cost-of-living topped the list of concerns.
Another poll found Americans were the least likely nationality to approve of AI data center construction, driven partly by fears of AI’s impact on the job market.
Former Monterey Park mayor and current city council member Jose Sanchez said the referendum demonstrates residents’ clear opposition to data centers in their community, the Guardian reports.
