Data Centers Take a Beating at the Ballot Box, Putting Land Valuations on Notice
The vote wasn't close. In Trenton, Ohio, a ballot measure capping data center capacity at 25 megawatts passed with nearly 80 percent of the vote Tuesday. Eighteen other Ohio municipalities posted similar results, and the rejection spread nationwide: voters in at least 29 jurisdictions passed bans or restrictions on data centers, The Washington Post reported, while the Data Centers on the Ballot tracker counted 37 restrictive measures passed and six more leading as of Wednesday morning. Only one — in Harwood, North Dakota — was voted down.
