Hawley calls for Senate to pass data center moratorium
Hawley became the first Senate Republican to endorse a data center moratorium after voters approved 40 of 41 restricting ballot measures, officials said.
- On Wednesday, Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley called for a nationwide moratorium on data center construction, listing it as a top priority for Senate Republicans to complete over the next six weeks.
- Hawley's proposal follows a challenging midterm election where data centers became a focal point of voter outrage, with exit polls showing 76 percent of voters opposed building them in their communities due to concerns over rising utility costs.
- Previously, the House passed the Ratepayer Protection Act 417-3, but Senate Democrats blocked the measure in a 57-43 procedural vote on September 30; Hawley and Democratic Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal previously introduced separate power-source legislation.
- Across the country, voters passed 40 of 41 ballot measures restricting such projects, including in Texas, where Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa won after campaigning against data center construction, signaling widespread bipartisan concern.
- Tech industry leaders are preparing for potential crackdowns in January as more Republicans align with Hawley; while analysts warn that bans could crush economic growth, others suggest firms prioritize facilities outside neighborhoods and farmland.
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Kansas Reflector
coastaltvnews.comVoters rejected AI data centers in dozens of communities as 2026 blue wave crested
Data centers were on the ballot, both directly and indirectly, in the 2026 midterm elections. A total of 41 local ballot initiatives concerning data centers in 10 states were up for a vote. All but one resulted in measures to restrict or limit their development. The centers also may have played a role in several […]
Voters restricted data centers in all but one of 41 local midterm ballot measures — by an average margin of 49 points
According to NBC exit poll data, 56% of voters felt that data centers were a major or even a crucial factor in influencing their congressional vote.
Hawley pushes national data center moratorium a week after midterm shellacking - The Daily Bo Snerdley
Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley is pushing for a nationwide data center moratorium a week after his party’s midterm drubbing. Hawley listed a moratorium on data centers among five things he wants Senate Republicans to get done over the next six weeks, he wrote on X on Wednesday. He is the first Republican senator to back a nationwide moratorium, The Hill reported. The senator wants the federal moratorium to last until Congress passes protec…
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