Company seeks to build data centers at fairgrounds across California, including Ventura County
Residents of Ventura County, California, are opposing a proposal by Global Stack to build "edge systems" (described as data processing units) at the Ventura County Fairgrounds and potentially up to 70 other fairgrounds statewide. Concerns include water usage during a drought, pollution, noise, and power consumption. The Ventura County Fairgrounds Board of Directors is scheduled for a discussion and possible action on the matter on September 15.
A proposal by infrastructure company Global Stack to develop "edge systems," which opponents identify as data centers, at fairgrounds across California, including the Ventura County Fairgrounds, is facing significant community opposition. Residents of Ventura, California, voiced strong concerns regarding water consumption during drought conditions, potential pollution, noise, and power demands during a recent Ventura County Fairgrounds Board of Directors meeting.
Global Stack, an Orange County-based company, describes its proposed units as emergency-resilience systems designed to support first responders, which can also process and store data for everyday use, emphasizing a closed-loop cooling system that it claims minimizes water usage compared to hyper-scale data centers. Despite Global Stack stating its plans would incur zero cost for fairgrounds, requiring only land-use rights of up to five acres, community members like Rima Muna and computer scientist Nick Rabb, who disputes the company's water usage claims for closed-loop systems, are vehemently against the project. Ventura County Fairgrounds CEO Heidi Ortiz confirmed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Global Stack, allowing site assessment, though no visit is scheduled. The Ventura County Fairgrounds Board of Directors is set to discuss the Global Stack proposal and take possible action at its upcoming meeting on September 15, with locals hoping the item never makes it to a formal agenda.