Voters push back on data centers as Congress advances permitting bill

Voters push back on data centers as Congress advances permitting bill

2 min read•Nov 7, 2026•
Anna Kowalski
Anna Kowalski

Voter opposition to AI data centers is shaping post-election politics as a bipartisan energy-permitting bill advances, first reported by The Verge. The bill could speed energy projects, but would limit environmental reviews and prevent communities from stopping projects in court; 76 percent of voters polled by NBC News on Election Day opposed data centers in their communities.

Dozens of local communities voted to restrict development through ballot measures. Texas Democratic Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa and Michigan Democratic Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed support moratoriums on development, part of election results that left data center developers facing a more restrictive building environment.

The permitting bill has bipartisan support and could bring energy projects online faster, potentially lowering utility bills. It could also speed polluting projects. Environmental advocates fear developers could use the changes to evade public scrutiny and rely more heavily on fossil fuels to meet data centers’ electricity demand.

Faster approvals and public opposition are advancing at the same time: the bill has bipartisan backing, while ballot measures and candidate positions show resistance to data center expansion.

OpenAI announced it would not use non-disclosure agreements with public officials on its data center projects, while allowing only narrow protections for legitimate security information, trade secrets, or proprietary or competitively sensitive information. Amazon announced in October that it would no longer use NDAs with government agencies on data center projects.

OpenAI also plans to pilot its Grid Protectors Program at an upcoming data center in Effingham County, Georgia. The company promises to free up to 1,000 megawatts during extreme weather or emergencies, enough to power air conditioners in around 700,000 homes.

Plug-in vehicles reach 32% of global registrations in September

Plug-in vehicles reached 32% of global registrations in September, first reported by Cleantechnica. Battery-electric vehicles accounted for 23% of registrations and set a record at 1.54 million, up 8% year over year, while plug-in hybrids fell 9%; year to date in 2026, BEVs were up 12% and PHEVs down 10%.

Global plug-in registrations rose 3% year over year to around 2.16 million in September, close to the all-time record of 2.17 million set last December.

Year to date, plug-in registrations were up 4% year over year: BEVs grew 12%, while PHEVs fell 10%. Their combined share for 2026 stood at 25%, with BEVs at 18% and PHEVs at 7%. The overall growth rate therefore hides a clear split between the two categories.

The Tesla Model Y led the model rankings with a record 165,000 registrations, up 17% year over year. Tesla Model 3 came second with 65,000, enough to move ahead of Geely Xingyuan and BYD Song despite a 4% annual decline.

BYD Song finished fourth at 54,519 registrations, up 19% and the fastest growth rate among the top five. An export push and the new-generation Ultra body helped lift the model.

At the make level, Tesla had a record 232,000 registrations, up 9% year over year. Toyota reached 61,332 for its fourth record in a row, finishing ahead of Volkswagen’s year-best 58,000 to become September’s best-selling legacy make.