A US Lawmaker Wants Communities to Have the Right to Reject AI Data Centers
Representative Ro Khanna is pushing a 'Data Center Bill of Rights' that would let neighborhoods block new facilities over electricity costs, water use and proximity to homes.
Key points
- Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) introduced a resolution in 2026 that would give local communities the right to reject new data center construction.
- The proposal would bar data centers from being built within 2,500 feet of homes, schools, hospitals or nursing homes.
- Several US states, including New York, have already placed moratoriums (temporary bans) on new data centers.
- The push comes as voters in multiple states have grown frustrated with rising electricity bills linked to AI infrastructure.
- Michigan Senate primary winner Abdul El-Sayed, endorsed by Khanna, has also backed pauses on data centers absent federal protections.
Data centers, the giant warehouse-like buildings packed with computer servers that keep AI services running, have quietly become one of the hottest political fights in America. They consume enormous amounts of electricity and water, and their neighbors are pushing back hard.
Rep. Ro Khanna of California wants to give those neighbors real power. The resolution he introduced would create what he calls a "Data Center Bill of Rights," a set of legal protections letting communities say no to new facilities. Khanna told CNBC, which first reported the details, that the biggest feedback he heard during a recent trip to Pennsylvania was opposition to data centers: "We need communities that don't have these data centers shoved down their throat."
What would the bill actually do?
The resolution sets out four main protections for residents. First, no new data center could be built within 2,500 feet of a home, school, childcare facility, hospital or nursing home. That is roughly half a mile. Second, communities would get a transparent public process to reject any proposed facility outright. Third, individual states could press pause on all new data center construction until they put rules in place guaranteeing that ordinary electricity customers do not pay higher bills because of AI demand. Fourth, municipalities could regulate data centers without state governments overriding them.
| Protection | What it means in plain terms |
|---|---|
| 2,500-foot buffer zone | No data center within roughly half a mile of homes or schools |
| Community rejection process | Public vote or review can block a facility entirely |
| State-level moratorium power | States can freeze new builds until rate-payer rules are in place |
| Local regulation protected | City and county rules cannot be wiped out by state law |
The resolution would also require data centers to use clean energy, meet pollution limits, and commit to not raising local utility bills.
Why does this matter for ordinary people?
Your electricity bill may already reflect this fight. Data centers draw power at a scale that can push costs up for everyone on the same grid. They also use large volumes of water for cooling, which can strain local supplies. For people living near a proposed site, the concern is not abstract: noise, heat, heavier truck traffic and higher monthly bills are the practical stakes.
Khanna represents Silicon Valley, home to many of the companies building these facilities. His framing is pointed: he said the companies building data centers are "losing the country" by ignoring community concerns.
The political pressure is real and growing. Data center opponents recently won at the ballot box in several local races. Michigan Senate primary winner Abdul El-Sayed, whom Khanna endorsed, has called for state and local moratoriums unless the federal government sets guardrails.
What happens next?
A resolution is a statement of intent, not a law. It does not automatically change anything. But it signals where Democratic politics on AI infrastructure is heading before the midterm elections, which will determine which party controls Congress. Expect more states and cities to act on their own in the meantime.
Common questions
Does this mean AI tools like ChatGPT could be affected?
Not directly. The resolution targets where new data centers get built, not what services run inside existing ones. Tools you use today keep working; the fight is about future construction.
Can a community already say no to a data center?
Sometimes, depending on the state. Zoning laws vary widely. This resolution would aim to set a national floor of protections so communities in every state have a formal mechanism to object.
