Alhambra Voters to Decide on Data Center Ban in November
The November 2026 ballot measure follows a wave of similar municipal restrictions across California.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Data Centers
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Alhambra residents are set to vote on Measure DB in November 2026, a ballot initiative that would prohibit the construction of data centers across all city zones. This measure joins a wave of similar municipal restrictions across California aimed at regulating data facility infrastructure.
Why it matters
The move reflects mounting local scrutiny of the energy and water footprints associated with modern data centers, which process digital information through massive server and networking hardware arrays. These facilities have increasingly become targets for municipal legislative action due to concerns regarding resource consumption and public health.
Data centers operate as centralized hubs for digital processing, often requiring up to 5 million gallons of freshwater daily for cooling systems. These facilities also rely on backup diesel generators to maintain consistent uptime for server arrays, a primary point of concern for city-level resource management.
The players
Alhambra
A city currently considering a ballot measure to restrict data center infrastructure within its jurisdiction.
San Francisco
A city that implemented a temporary legislative pause on new data center developments to review public safety and energy impacts.
Monterey Park
A municipality that approved a formal measure to prohibit the construction of data centers.
Coachella
A city that enacted a local ordinance banning the establishment of data centers.
The details
Data centers house thousands of servers and networking hardware in centralized buildings to process and store digital information. To maintain optimal performance, these systems rely on cooling units—some of which use significant volumes of water—and backup diesel generators to ensure power reliability during grid outages. These operational requirements drive the energy and resource consumption profiles that have spurred municipal efforts to limit their deployment in local zoning districts.
Timeline
June 2026: Monterey Park passed Measure NDC to prohibit data centers.
August 2026: Coachella passed an ordinance to ban data centers.
October 2026: San Francisco enacted a 45-day temporary ban on new data centers.
November 2026: Alhambra voters will decide on Measure DB.
The Tech Race
Alhambra’s Measure DB aligns with a growing trend of municipal resistance across California against the expansion of digital infrastructure. This local legislative push follows recent bans in Monterey Park, Coachella, and San Francisco that prioritize regional resource preservation over data facility capacity.
The upcoming vote in November 2026 will directly determine local zoning policy regarding whether data center operators can build within city limits. Residents should prepare for the election, as the result will set the long-term legal standard for future digital infrastructure projects in Alhambra.
The takeaway
The November 2026 ballot decision will serve as a bellwether for how suburban municipalities balance digital expansion against local resource constraints. Interested parties should track the final vote count to see if the measure establishes a precedent for other cities in the region.
Further reading
For broader context on current municipal approaches to infrastructure, see our reporting on Data Centers.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Los Angeles Magazine.
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Should your city prohibit the construction of data centers to conserve local water and energy resources?
