San Mateo County considers regulating new data centers
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors unanimously directed county staff to develop zoning regulations that could limit new data centers in unincorporated areas. Supervisors rejected an earlier proposal to study a countywide ban as too strict without more information, while citing potential impacts on energy, water, environmental resources, noise and air quality.
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to direct county staff, the County Executive’s Office and the County Attorney’s Office to identify zoning regulations for new data centers in unincorporated areas. Supervisors said the facilities could strain energy and water resources and create environmental, noise, air-quality and land-use concerns. The county currently has no major commercial data centers.
The action followed an earlier proposal to examine a countywide ban, which supervisors considered too restrictive without additional information about data center impacts. The issue gained urgency after Santa Ana-based Global Stack LLC proposed eight data centers across the region, including at the San Mateo County Event Center. Business and environmental representatives supported developing what they described as a balanced regulatory approach, while noting that industrial sites near the San Bruno Mountains could attract future proposals.