San Diego congressional Democrats vow legislation to block NAVWAR data center
San Diego’s four Democratic members of Congress said they will introduce legislation requiring local government consent before a proposed 400-megawatt data center can proceed at the federally owned NAVWAR site. The announcement follows strong community and local government opposition, as well as the San Diego City Council’s approval of a 45-day emergency pause on data centers.
Reps. Sara Jacobs, Scott Peters, Juan Vargas and Mike Levin said they will seek legislation to block or limit the proposed 400-megawatt data center at the NAVWAR site unless San Diego officials have a role in approving it. The project, proposed by Manchester Financial Group, is one of several redevelopment options for the federally owned 60-acre property near Old Town.
The San Diego City Council unanimously approved a 45-day emergency pause on data center development, with the option to extend it for up to 20 months, but the city cannot directly control the use of federal land. Local officials and residents have criticized the proposal as a potential loss of housing and public amenities and raised concerns about water use, electricity costs, environmental impacts and strain on the power grid. The congressional legislation will not be introduced until the House returns and may face a difficult path to a vote.