AI TRENDS | More Than 40 Data Center Proposals Head to U.S. Voters Amid Opposition

According to Jin10, more than 40 data center-related proposals will go before voters in the November 3 U.S. midterm elections, as voters in dozens of U.S. counties and cities get the chance to support policies restricting data center development. From Nevada to Georgia, local governments are asking residents whether to tax or regulate AI infrastructure, or prohibit data center construction. The proposals could affect hundreds of billions of dollars in investment and pose challenges for major cloud computing companies such as Meta and data center developers such as Applied Digital. A September poll by Quinnipiac University found that 72% of voters opposed building new data centers in their communities, up from 65% in a similar March survey.