Wisconsin town votes on first anti-data center referendum in U.S.

Voters in Port Washington, Wisconsin, will decide Tuesday on the nation's first ballot measure specifically targeting data center development, marking an early test of local opposition to the infrastructure powering artificial intelligence. The referendum asks residents whether the city should require voter approval before approving any new data center projects. It represents the leading edge of at least four similar ballot measures expected across the country this year as communities grapple with the energy, water, and land demands of AI infrastructure. Port Washington, a city of roughly 12,000 on Lake Michigan, had been in talks with Microsoft about a potential data center investment. Residents organizing the referendum cited concerns about strain on local resources and property tax implications. Data center construction has accelerated dramatically as technology companies race to secure computing capacity for AI workloads. The facilities consume enormous electricity, with some large campuses requiring as much power as small cities. Local opposition has emerged in communities from Northern Virginia to the Netherlands, but the Wisconsin vote would be the first time U.S. voters directly weighed in on data center development through a binding referendum. The outcome could influence similar efforts in other jurisdictions considering whether to restrict or regulate the rapidly expanding industry. The vote also carries political significance. During his 2024 campaign, President Trump endorsed data center development as part of his economic agenda, while some Democratic-led states have also embraced the facilities for their job creation potential. A voter rejection in Wisconsin could signal shifting political winds around one of the tech industry's most capital-intensive infrastructure buildouts.