In first, California city overwhelmingly votes to permanently ban datacenters

Residents gather at city hall in Monterey Park, California, on 21 January to protest against the construction of a datacenter. Photograph: Steven Kung

Residents in Monterey Park, California, became the first in the US to vote on a permanent ban on datacenters on Tuesday, and early results indicate a resounding victory for the prohibition.

While many cities and counties have already passed temporary or indefinite moratoriums via their local governments, Monterey Park would be the first to do so through a ballot initiative.