Coachella City Council Unanimously Approves First Reading of Data Center Ban
The Coachella City Council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance to ban data centers citywide, with a second vote scheduled for August 26th. This decision follows months of resident pressure and the cancellation of a proposed data center project. The city had previously extended a temporary moratorium on data center projects.
The Coachella City Council has unanimously approved the first reading of a citywide ordinance to ban data centers, data storage facilities, and large-scale computing facilities. The vote on Wednesday night, which followed months of intense resident pressure, brings the city a step closer to making the ban official. A second and final vote is scheduled for August 26th, after which the ban would take effect 30 days later.
The proposed ordinance includes exemptions for accessory server rooms and IT equipment directly tied to approved uses, a clause residents have urged the council to tighten to prevent potential loopholes for future data center projects. Coachella Mayor Dr. Frank Figueroa emphasized the community's desire to ensure the ban is airtight, stating, "We want to ensure that this data center ban ordinance does not allow anybody to just sneak in through."
This development stems from a debate that began in April, when hundreds of residents voiced opposition to the "Coachella Valley Technology Campus" project, which has since been canceled. Following the project's cancellation, the city council extended a temporary 45-day moratorium on data center projects to 10 months to allow time for the development of a permanent ordinance.