As moves spread across the United States to limit new data centre development, bitcoin mining companies that have already secured power and land could be at a relative advantage, an analysis showed.
On Nov. 11 (local time), Cointelegraph reported that a series of local ballot measures held alongside U.S. midterm elections saw broad support for proposals to restrict data centre development.
In 40 of 41 local measures tracked by Ballotpedia, voters backed limits on development. The results reflected concerns about higher electricity bills, water use and the impact on local communities. Approaches varied, ranging from citywide development bans to limits on large facilities, temporary pauses on new projects and requirements for resident approval.
A total of 27 measures restricting or opposing data centre development passed in last week's elections. They included 5 full bans, 12 partial bans and 6-month suspensions of new projects in 3 towns in Maine. In Grove City, Ohio, a rule passed requiring resident approval for large projects that use 20 megawatts (MW) of power or more.
The trend coincides with bitcoin miners shifting their businesses. A first-quarter report by CoinShares said listed bitcoin miners announced more than $70 billion in artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) related deals from 2025 to early 2026. The analysis said tighter permitting for new data centres could raise the asset value of miners that already have power contracts, sites and facilities.
Jamie Brown, chief executive of Global Kiwi Labs, said the need is growing for bitcoin miners to use the power and facilities they have secured for AI businesses. Jordan Knecht, head of strategic integrations at blockchain infrastructure company Kresus, said even with a good location and sufficient power capacity, local regulation could make it difficult to proceed if expansion or facility upgrades are blocked.
Costs are also a burden. CoinShares said the cost of building AI data centres is about $8 million to $15 million per MW, far above $700,000 to $1 million for existing mining facilities. Knecht said additional investment for cooling, networks and ensuring reliability should also be considered to handle AI workloads.
Power-use patterns also differ. Yuliya Barabash, founder of SBSB Fintech Lawyers, said bitcoin miners can reduce usage when electricity prices rise, but AI data centres must maintain a stable power supply. She pointed to concerns that higher power prices and additional regulation could reduce profitability for some projects or delay development.
Sharing the cost of expanding the power grid is also an issue. The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts U.S. data centre electricity use will almost double to 426 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2030 from 224 TWh in 2025. In a new Democrat-led Congress, who bears the cost of the power infrastructure needed could emerge as a major agenda item.
It is unclear whether talks over cost sharing would immediately lead to curbs on data centre development. Knecht said incentives remain strong to support expanding computing capacity in the United States as the economic importance of AI infrastructure grows.
The analysis shows that the power and land bitcoin miners already hold could become a starting point for a shift into AI infrastructure. But actual competitiveness is likely to hinge less on location than on additional investment in cooling, networking and power stability, and the ability to respond to local regulation.
