Key Facts

• Redbud Consulting tracked 44 ballot measures seeking to restrict data centers across 10 states; 38 had passed at the time of reporting.
• The measures included bans and moratoriums, and analysts said they would mainly affect projects planned for 2028 rather than facilities already built or approved through 2027.
• One measure allowing a data center to proceed required independent reviews and public hearings for expansions or proposed projects.
• Gina Hinojosa won the Texas governor’s race and has said she would delay projects until lawmakers address data centers’ effects on water, electricity, air quality, and property rights.
• Texas was expected to account for more than 41 percent of added U.S. data center capacity in 2028; Bloomberg estimated about 13 gigawatts of capacity could be affected by the election result.
• Democrats also won governor races in Arizona, Georgia, and Ohio, three other states that have attracted data center developers.
• Axios projected that nearly two-thirds of planned 2028 data center capacity could face delays; Bloomberg said half of U.S. data centers were more vulnerable to scrutiny.
• The article says some technology industry figures characterized the election results as opposition to Trump’s agenda rather than opposition to technology.