Californians Make History: Voters in California City Become First in US to Approve Permanent Ban on Energy-Intensive Data Centers
On June 04, 2026, the city of Monterey Park, California, made history by becoming the first city in the United States to prohibit data centers within its limits through a ballot initiative, with voters overwhelmingly approving a permanent ban on these facilities. The anti-data center resolution garnered an impressive 86% of voter support, with only 14% of voters opposing the measure. According to the resolution's text, the ban was deemed necessary to safeguard the community's air quality, drinking water resources, and public health, while also preventing potential impacts on electricity and water rates.
Steven Kung, a key leader of the local initiative, described the outcome as "a landslide victory" in an interview with ABC 7 Eyewitness News. Kung cited multiple reasons why the city's residents had resoundingly rejected the idea of building data centers in their community, including the potential for noise pollution, air pollution, and increased electricity rates. He emphasized that the deal simply did not make sense for Monterey Park, and that it was unlikely to be beneficial for most, if not all, cities where data centers are proposed.
In a separate interview with Politico, Monterey Park Mayor Elizabeth Yang predicted that her city would be just the beginning of a trend, as data center projects have sparked widespread protests across the country. Yang noted that the reputation of data centers was already tarnished, with many cities experiencing negative consequences from their presence. "A lot of the other cities that are facing data center proposals are going to follow suit," she said, highlighting the growing resistance to these facilities.
Monterey Park city councilmember Jose Sanchez expressed a similar sentiment, telling The Guardian that he hoped his city's decision would serve as a model for other communities. "We hope that other communities will use the model set by residents here in Monterey Park as inspiration to stop data centers from encroaching in their backyard," he said, emphasizing the importance of community-led initiatives in shaping local policies.
In recent months, data centers have become a highly contentious issue, with residents across the country objecting to their massive resource consumption, which is leading to significant increases in utility bills, as well as the noise pollution they generate. This growing opposition has been reflected in various initiatives, including a bill introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez earlier this year, which aims to impose a nationwide moratorium on AI data center construction until robust safeguards are put in place to protect workers, consumers, communities, and the environment.
A recent poll released by Public First on Wednesday found that US residents are more opposed to data center construction than any other nation in the world, with a mere 26% of Americans expressing support for building more data centers. This strong opposition is not just theoretical, as it has already caused significant challenges for Big Tech firms that are struggling to increase their AI models' compute power. As the debate around data centers continues to unfold, it is likely that Monterey Park's decision will be seen as a landmark moment in the growing movement to regulate and restrict the expansion of these facilities.
According to a report published by The Financial Times on Thursday, numerous projects, with a combined value of at least $156 billion, have been either blocked or stalled since 2025, primarily due to strong local opposition to their development.
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The Real News Network operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, ensuring that every donation directly contributes to funding the type of reporting that corporate media often neglects to cover. The organization permits the republishing of its articles at no cost, both online and in print, under the terms of a Creative Commons license. This specific work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, and The Real News Network actively encourages the republication of its original content. To republish, simply copy the HTML code provided, preserving the attribution and link to the original article, and make only minor cosmetic edits to the content on your website.
Steven Kung, a key leader of the local initiative, described the outcome as "a landslide victory" in an interview with ABC 7 Eyewitness News. Kung cited multiple reasons why the city's residents had resoundingly rejected the idea of building data centers in their community, including the potential for noise pollution, air pollution, and increased electricity rates. He emphasized that the deal simply did not make sense for Monterey Park, and that it was unlikely to be beneficial for most, if not all, cities where data centers are proposed.
In a separate interview with Politico, Monterey Park Mayor Elizabeth Yang predicted that her city would be just the beginning of a trend, as data center projects have sparked widespread protests across the country. Yang noted that the reputation of data centers was already tarnished, with many cities experiencing negative consequences from their presence. "A lot of the other cities that are facing data center proposals are going to follow suit," she said, highlighting the growing resistance to these facilities.
Monterey Park city councilmember Jose Sanchez expressed a similar sentiment, telling The Guardian that he hoped his city's decision would serve as a model for other communities. "We hope that other communities will use the model set by residents here in Monterey Park as inspiration to stop data centers from encroaching in their backyard," he said, emphasizing the importance of community-led initiatives in shaping local policies.
In recent months, data centers have become a highly contentious issue, with residents across the country objecting to their massive resource consumption, which is leading to significant increases in utility bills, as well as the noise pollution they generate. This growing opposition has been reflected in various initiatives, including a bill introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez earlier this year, which aims to impose a nationwide moratorium on AI data center construction until robust safeguards are put in place to protect workers, consumers, communities, and the environment.
A recent poll released by Public First on Wednesday found that US residents are more opposed to data center construction than any other nation in the world, with a mere 26% of Americans expressing support for building more data centers. This strong opposition is not just theoretical, as it has already caused significant challenges for Big Tech firms that are struggling to increase their AI models' compute power. As the debate around data centers continues to unfold, it is likely that Monterey Park's decision will be seen as a landmark moment in the growing movement to regulate and restrict the expansion of these facilities.
According to a report published by The Financial Times on Thursday, numerous projects, with a combined value of at least $156 billion, have been either blocked or stalled since 2025, primarily due to strong local opposition to their development.
As an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization, The Real News Network produces fearless and fact-based reporting, focusing on the stories that truly matter, including those that are often ignored, minimized, or misrepresented by corporate media. The Real News Network maintains its commitment to providing unbiased and unrestricted access to information, free from paywalls, advertisers, and the influence of billionaire owners, relying solely on the support of its viewers to deliver the truth.
The Real News Network operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, ensuring that every donation directly contributes to funding the type of reporting that corporate media often neglects to cover. The organization permits the republishing of its articles at no cost, both online and in print, under the terms of a Creative Commons license. This specific work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, and The Real News Network actively encourages the republication of its original content. To republish, simply copy the HTML code provided, preserving the attribution and link to the original article, and make only minor cosmetic edits to the content on your website.
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