11 states propose bipartisan bills to slow rapid data center construction amid AI boom

The AI sector is experiencing explosive growth, with data centers popping up across the country. Now, dozens of state government officials have introduced legislation to slow data center growth.

As reported by NBC News, legislators across both sides of the political aisle are experiencing a rare moment of bipartisanship to address the countless new AI data centers and the problems that they bring.

Lawmakers have now proposed bills to rein in data centers in 11 states:

-Georgia
-Maine
-Maryland
-Michigan
-Minnesota
-New Hampshire
-New York
-0klahoma
-South Dakota
-Vermont
-Virginia

— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) April 5, 2026

In the first six weeks of 2026 alone, more than 30 state governments together faced over 300 bills calling for more regulation on data centers. 

These proposed regulations vary widely, with some calling for full moratoriums on new AI data centers. Others, sharing the approach of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, call for the elimination of tax breaks and credits for data center builders. 

Georgia policymakers are pursuing a different strategy, proposing legislation to limit electricity bill increases, a less direct method of ensuring that data centers aren't harming residents.

Lawmakers in Colorado and Washington seek to add more environmental protections tied to AI data centers. In Colorado, one bill would require the owners of the data centers to use their own source of clean electricity for power. On the other hand, Washington officials had called for a bill to require data centers to report their resource use (both water and power), although this bill has already been defeated.

At the same time, on the federal level, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act to prohibit the construction of new facilities until there are far stronger protections for workers, ratepayers, and the environment.

A large majority of Americans (57%) fear that AI's issues outweigh its benefits, according to a recent NBC News survey. Yet, these fears haven't slowed tech giants from expanding their footprint across the country.

And data centers have proved to drive up residents' electricity costs, at a time when inflation has already made the utility unaffordable for many.

It is clear that AI has its uses and can markedly improve efficiency in a variety of settings. However, it's also clear that most Americans, regardless of political affiliation, are concerned about the impacts AI data centers bring, whether they relate to electricity costs, workers' rights, or the environment at large. 

Just as tech giants are unlikely to suddenly stop expanding their AI infrastructure, some policymakers around the country are similarly unlikely to stop asking for clarity, regulation, and guardrails on the new transformative technology.

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