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In a First for the Country, Voters in Southern California City of Monterey Park Ban Data Centers
About 86% of votes backed the measure, according to county election officials, after residents raised concerns about pollution and utility costs.
- On Wednesday, Monterey Park voters resoundingly approved Measure NDC, banning data centers citywide with about 86% of ballots in favor, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
- The initiative followed intense community organizing against a proposed 250,000-square-foot "hyperscale data center," as residents formed groups like No Data Center Monterey Park to protest electricity usage, noise, and air pollution.
- Monterey Park is believed to be the first city in the nation to implement a data center ban through a ballot measure, with the permanent ordinance preventing future councils from overturning the prohibition without another vote.
- Mayor Elizabeth Yang confirmed in April that HMC StratCap withdrew its application and would not contest the ballot measure, though the Data Center Coalition expressed disappointment regarding the vote's impact.
- Activists Amy Wong and Steven Kung are now targeting data center projects in neighboring areas, including the City of Industry, while state policy director Khara Boender criticized the ban for depriving the region of long-term economic investment.
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17 Articles
California city bans data center construction as opposition grows nationwide
A California city appears to have voted to permanently ban the construction of data centers within its limits, underlining growing public opposition to the AI infrastructure buildout. Exit polls suggest 86% of Monterey Park voters backed the prohibition, following a proposal to build a 247,000-square-foot installation. Other legislatures have enacted pauses or bans, but this is believed to be the first move of its kind. US voters are increasingl…
·New York, United States
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»Don't ask for large-scale computing in our neighborhood.« The citizens of Monterey Park near Los Angeles have spoken out in favour of a ban on data centers.
·Germany
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources17
Leaning Left5Leaning Right0Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution55% Center
Bias Distribution
- 55% of the sources are Center
55% Center
L 45%
C 55%
Factuality
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