Ballot Measures Take Aim at Data Centers
A building sustained fire damage, left, in November at the Bitdeer Technologies Group cryptocurrency mining data center while under construction in Massillon, Ohio on Dec. 18, 2025. By the end of the decade, Bitdeer Technologies Group envisions running a network of AI data centers capable of drawing hundreds of megawatts of power.
Photographer: Justin Merriman/Bloomberg
Concerns about electricity prices, water use, and noise and air pollution are motivating people in several cities across the country to gather signatures for ballot initiatives to limit development of data centers. In Ohio, a potential referendum could impose statewide restrictions.
Data centers are a necessary component in the US race against global rivals to innovate in the artificial intelligence sphere. However, community pushback is slowing the market and causing some developers to rethink sites, said John McWilliams, head of data center insights at Cushman & Wakefield.
The issue is also becoming a ...