Editorial: Calistoga's Wine Country Unsuitable for Proposed Data Center
An editorial from The Press Democrat argues against a proposal by Global Stack LLC to build a data center, parking garage, and aircraft launch pad at the Calistoga Fairgrounds in California's Wine Country. Local residents expressed strong opposition at a recent meeting, citing concerns about preserving the region's character, water resources, and electricity supply. The editorial emphasizes that the site is unsuitable due to existing land use restrictions and the negative impacts on the area's agricultural, environmental, and economic resources.
The Press Democrat has published an editorial vehemently opposing Global Stack LLC's proposal to develop a data center, multi-level parking garage, and landing pad for helicopters and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft at the Calistoga Fairgrounds in California's Wine Country.
Local residents voiced overwhelming disapproval at a June 25 meeting, signaling broad opposition to the project. The editorial argues that the development would fundamentally alter the character of Calistoga and its vital agricultural, environmental, and economic resources. It urges civic and political leaders to join the naysayers to prevent the 'visionary but out-of-touch proposal' from gaining momentum.
Global Stack LLC, co-founded by Daniel Kang, promotes the project as a solution for struggling county fairgrounds, promising millions in revenue sharing and a 10-megawatt data center that could provide emergency power. However, the editorial expresses skepticism regarding claims of "closed-loop, zero-water cooling," citing Northern California's ongoing drought concerns and the existing strain on the electricity grid from increasing data center demand. It also highlights that Calistoga's 2024 purchase of the fairgrounds from Napa County restricts the site to historical uses, further complicating the proposal. The editorial concludes that the project is 'too good to be true' and should be a 'non-starter.'