Data centers lost the midterms — SkimNews
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- NBC News reported that 76% of voters polled on Election Day opposed data centers in their communities.
- Redbud Consulting compiled a tally showing that, as of Wednesday morning, 33 of 45 local ballot measures would restrict data-center development.
- Wells voters favored a 180-day moratorium on large data centers backdated to mid-June 2026; Ohio cities banned facilities over 25MW, and El Dorado, Kansas, banned facilities with peak loads over 10MW for 10 years.
- Gina Hinojosa was elected Texas governor and supports a statewide data-center moratorium; Greg Abbott, who had previously praised expansion, instead announced an audit.
- Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan's Senate race and called for a pause on new developments until they can proceed safely with federal protections; Mike Rogers backed a one-year state moratorium but not a federal ban.
- Byron Donalds won Florida's governorship, opposed an outright data-center ban and introduced the Protecting Ratepayers Act, which would make developers pay for their own energy and water needs.
- Sherrod Brown won back Ohio's Senate seat and said developers should get no tax breaks and no go-ahead without local input; Jon Husted had installed tax breaks but later backed the Ratepayer Protection Act.
Why it matters: Developers are the pressure point: 33 of 45 local measures would restrict data-center development, while 76% of polled Election Day voters opposed local facilities. Policies in several states would shift energy and infrastructure costs onto operators rather than ratepayers, but winners in Florida, Arizona and Iowa opposed moratoriums, favoring standards, local control and tax-break changes instead.
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