Monterey Park's Data Center Ban Could Reshape How Cities Control Critical Infrastructure

Monterey Park voters cast ballots June 2, 2026, on Measure NDC, which would make it the first U.S. city to permanently ban all data centers. If approved, the measure will likely face legal challenges and encourage similar bans elsewhere—testing whether local zoning authority extends to infrastructure increasingly viewed as critical at the federal level, as artificial intelligence workloads drive nationwide computing demand.