Voters in a small Wisconsin city overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure Tuesday to curb future data center development, marking a new front in the growing backlash against massive artificial intelligence infrastructure projects.
Residents of Port Washington, a Milwaukee suburb, backed the measure by about a 2-to-1 margin, according to unofficial results. The referendum requires city leaders to obtain voter approval before granting tax incentives to developers for future large-scale projects.
Supporters say the result could become a model for activists in other communities fighting similar developments.
"This is really setting a precedent," Christine Le Jeune, founder of the nonprofit Great Lakes Neighbors United, told Politico on Tuesday evening. "This is something that other communities can look to."
The vote does not stop Port Washington's controversial data center campus, a $15 billion, 1.3-gigawatt project involving OpenAI and Oracle that is part of the "Stargate Project" AI initiative backed by President Donald Trump. But it does target future projects by limiting the ability of local officials to hand out lucrative incentives without direct public approval.
Le Jeune told Politico that residents have raised concerns about transparency, noise pollution, freshwater use, and higher energy costs tied to the project.
Opponents of the measure, including local business groups, argued it could chill future development well beyond data centers. Vantage Data Centers, the developer behind the Port Washington project, has promoted the facility as a job creator for the region.
The referendum also faces a legal challenge from a regional business group that argues it violates state law, and a court could pause the measure within days.
Even so, Port Washington is unlikely to be the last showdown over AI infrastructure.
Communities in California, Michigan, and elsewhere are preparing similar ballot fights that could restrict or block data center development, signaling a growing national debate over local control, energy use, and economic priorities.
In Indiana, tensions surrounding data center projects have already escalated beyond the ballot box. Indianapolis Councilman Ron Gibson said he and his 8-year-old son were awakened early Monday when someone fired 13 shots at their front door and left behind a note reading "No Data Centers."
Gibson — who supported the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission's approval of a rezoning petition for a data center in his district — said neither he nor his son was injured in the incident, though bullets struck just steps from the dining room table where his son had been playing the day before.
Police said they believe the shooting was a targeted incident, and the FBI is assisting in the investigation.
"I understand that public service can bring strong opinions and disagreement, but violence is never the answer, especially when it puts families at risk," Gibson said, adding that "this will not deter me."
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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