Software & Systems · Story 4

In first, California city overwhelmingly votes to permanently ban datacenters

Monterey Park, California has become the first U.S. city where residents voted to permanently ban new datacenters. The vote passed overwhelmingly as a ballot measure rather than a city council decision.

This voter-led ban signals growing local resistance to datacenter expansion over concerns about jobs, water usage, and AI infrastructure. Other cities considering moratoriums may observe the outcome closely.

Key details

• Monterey Park residents passed a permanent ban on datacenters through a ballot measure, the first such voter-approved ban in the U.S.
• Other city councils have enacted temporary moratoriums on datacenter development, but this is the first permanent ban decided by residents.
• The vote addresses concerns about whether datacenters provide meaningful long-term local employment.

Discussion angles

• Some residents see datacenters as offering few long-term jobs and little benefit to the common citizen.
• Opponents argue the ban deprives the city of high-wage jobs, tax revenue, and economic investment that could flow to other areas.
• Some commenters frame the ban as an effective local tactic to resist AI infrastructure expansion.
• There is confusion about the location, with some initially thinking the ban referred to California City in the Mojave Desert rather than Monterey Park.