Riverside Committee Recommends Temporary Data Center Pause

The Riverside Land Use Committee has unanimously voted to recommend a 90-day moratorium on data center applications. The committee's decision directs city staff to draft the temporary pause proposal, which will then be presented to the Riverside City Council for discussion at a future meeting.

Councilmember Philip Falcone, who initiated the discussion, highlighted concerns about preserving the city's commercial land for industries that create more jobs, preventing an electrical grid overload, and protecting the city's water supply. Riverside Public Utilities General Manager David Garcia confirmed the city's water supply is independent but finite, while Assistant General Manager Daniel Honeyfield emphasized the strain on the city's electrical output, noting that a second connection to the statewide power grid is critical before considering data center developments. Councilmember Sean Mill echoed these sentiments, stating data centers would be a "non-starter" until the second connection is built. Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes stressed the need for clear definitions in any potential ban to prevent loopholes and align with the city's sustainability goals.

This move comes after a proposed agreement between the city and the nonprofit Institute for Veterans and Emerging Technology Skills (iVETS), and its for-profit counterpart StemWorx, was removed from the council’s agenda due to the mention of a potential data center. The agreement was later approved after references to data centers were removed. City staff have been instructed to return with more information regarding a potential ban, which would then be reviewed by the Land Use Committee and Planning Commission before reaching the City Council.