On Tuesday, approximately 86 percent of voters in Monterey Park—a city of 60,000 located about 10 miles east of downtown Los Angeles—approved a citywide ban on data centers. The measure aims to protect air quality, drinking water resources, and public health while preventing impacts on electricity and water rates.
The decision follows the withdrawal of a proposed data center project in Monterey Park earlier this year after the city council adopted a moratorium on such constructions.
Data center restrictions have gained traction across the United States at state and local levels due to rising community opposition to facilities central to the artificial intelligence boom. A Wisconsin city passed a referendum targeting large-scale data centers in April, requiring projects that receive tax incentives to secure approval from local voters after the construction of a campus with such benefits.
State legislatures in several states are considering moratoriums on data center development, though none have been enacted yet. In Maine, a statewide ban was proposed but vetoed by Governor Janet Mills. The New York Legislature is also poised to pass a one-year ban, though Governor Kathy Hochul’s support for the measure remains uncertain.
Monterey Park Mayor Elizabeth Yang stated that “there’s a bad reputation across the board, across the country, from other data centers that have been built in neighborhoods.”
The city is believed to be only the second in the nation to pass an anti-data center referendum, following a vote in a small Milwaukee suburb earlier this month. The Data Center Coalition, representing the industry, has stated it will work with California residents and policymakers to ensure responsible development.
This outcome provided environmental advocates with a rare positive result during Tuesday’s primary election, when their gubernatorial candidate, billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer, trailed both established Democratic nominee Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton. Many progressive candidates also faced challenges against opponents supported by the fossil fuel industry.
Organizers nationwide have signaled plans to replicate Monterey Park’s approach, including a campaign for a statewide ban in Ohio and local efforts 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 in other parts of the country.”
