Santa Clara moves forward on regulating data center development
Santa Clara officials unanimously approved a plan to prioritize new water and air-quality standards for data centers and conduct a broader policy review. The City Council did not act on a proposed moratorium, but Councilmember Karen Hardy plans to bring the measure back for consideration, focused on standalone data centers.
The Santa Clara City Council unanimously approved a plan to prioritize water and air-quality standards for data centers as the city revises its development policies. Staff will conduct a broader review of potential health, safety and community impacts, with officials indicating that water and air standards could be advanced before the broader review is completed in 2027.
District 3 Councilmember Karen Hardy criticized the council's failure to adopt a proposed moratorium on new data center projects. No action was taken on the moratorium at its initial consideration, but Hardy said she intends to bring it back at a subsequent meeting. Existing city rules require new developments to maximize recycled-water use but do not specify a required volume for data centers.