Local opposition to data centers is rising nationwide, with projects repeatedly
paused or blocked. Midterm results shifted state regulatory dynamics against AI
infrastructure: newly elected governors in Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico
and Texas pledged during campaigns to halt or at least pause statewide
data‑center construction; New York and Oregon governors pledged to extend
existing moratoria. In Alaska and Kansas, candidates who backed pauses are
leading but results are not final. Market intelligence firm Cleanview estimates
Roughly 40% of planned U.S. data‑center capacity is located in the states above.
Separately, 46 local ballot measures have passed or are expected to pass that
restrict data‑center development, with at least 17 measures directly banning
large data centers.
