Edgewater voters could decide whether to ban certain data centers in November

Edgewater is one step closer to letting voters decide whether to ban some types of data centers.City commissioners voted unanimously Monday in a second and final reading to place the measure on the November ballot. During the meeting, the mayor clarified the types of facilities at the center of the debate, including “hyper scale data centers,” artificial intelligence data centers, cryptocurrency mining operations and other high-end data processing facilities.Residents also spoke during public comment, including one who said he is familiar with how data centers operate and supports the city’s effort to stop them. He cited noise as a major concern, comparing it to having a large commercial air-conditioning unit running in a backyard.Another resident also warned against claims that data centers bring long-term employment, saying jobs would last mainly through construction. And a third resident added that nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) could limit what the public is able to learn about co