A small town in California has just sent out a signal that will spark discussion far beyond its borders. Residents of Monterey Park, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, voted en masse to permanently ban the construction of new data centers on their territory, becoming the first in the United States to introduce a ban through a popular referendum.
According to preliminary results, more than 86% of voters were in favor of the ban. An overwhelming margin that leaves little doubt about the will of the local community.
The move comes at a time when the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is fueling a rush to build massive digital infrastructures. However, data centers, which are essential for processing and storing the immense quantities of data required by AI, are increasingly at the center of controversy due to their enormous consumption of energy and water.
The mobilization was born in response to a project promoted by the investment company HMC StratCap, which wanted to build a large data center of almost 23 thousand square meters in Monterey Park. Many residents have expressed concerns about possible environmental impacts, increased utility costs and the proximity of the plant to homes, and already in April the city council approved an indefinite moratorium on data centers. With the referendum, however, the ban takes on much greater weight: it can only be revoked through a new popular vote.
@Melissa Michelson
The question put to voters was explicit: ban data centers to protect air quality, water resources and public health, while also avoiding possible repercussions on water and electricity prices.
This result proves without a doubt that the residents of Monterey Park do not want data centers in their community, says José Sanchez, a city councilor and one of the initiators of the initiative.
The Monterey Park case is not isolated. In the United States, discontent with these structures is growing, considered by many to be the hidden symbol of the artificial intelligence revolution. According to a recent Gallup poll, seven in ten Americans say they oppose building AI data centers in their communities.
In recent months, several cities have approved temporary moratoriums or are considering restrictions. In Wisconsin, for example, voters won the right to express themselves before tax incentives were given to data center builders. New popular consultations are already planned in Michigan and other areas of the country.
The hidden cost of artificial intelligence
Behind chatbots, image generators and increasingly sophisticated digital services lies a network of energy-intensive infrastructures that require enormous quantities of electricity to power servers and cooling systems. According to numerous studies, the growth of AI could significantly increase global energy needs in the coming years, raising questions about the environmental sustainability of this development model.
Precisely for this reason the debate on data centers is rapidly moving from a technical issue to a political and social issue.
On the one hand, companies and sector associations claim that these structures bring investments, qualified employment and new tax revenues. On the other hand, citizens and environmental groups are asking for greater guarantees on resource consumption, climate impacts and quality of life.
In Monterey Park, the message from voters was clear: the digital future cannot be built without the consent of the communities that will have to live with its infrastructure.
