Tulare County hits pause on AI data centers
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors has enacted a 45-day ban on new AI data center developments due to concerns over groundwater extraction and other resource demands. This pause allows county planners to update outdated zoning regulations to address the specific impacts of these facilities. Other municipalities within the county, such as Visalia and Hanford, are also considering or enacting measures to limit data center development.
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors has enacted a 45-day interim ordinance banning the consideration of any new artificial intelligence data center developments. The decision, driven by Supervisors Larry Micari and Eddie Valero, stems from significant concerns over the potential groundwater extraction, energy demands, and infrastructure strain these facilities could place on the region, particularly given existing pumping restrictions under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
The moratorium provides county planners with time to revise current zoning regulations, which are deemed inadequate for assessing the unique operational characteristics and resource-intensive nature of AI data centers. The ordinance explicitly states that approving new data centers under existing zoning would threaten public health, safety, and welfare.
Simultaneously, other local governmental bodies are taking similar stances. The Visalia City Council has agreed to consider a moratorium on data center development, while the City of Hanford issued a statement on August 15 opposing all data centers within its jurisdiction. The Tulare Supervisors also approved an automatic letter of opposition to any other governmental entity within the county considering an AI data center, a measure prompted partly by a proposal from developer GlobalStack USA to build "edge node" computing units at fairgrounds in Tulare and Kings counties, which ignited public backlash.
Michael Washam, Associate Director of the Resources Management Agency, highlighted that many zoning ordinances predate the prevalence of data centers and fail to address their 24/7 operation, high water and power usage, and noise generation. Supervisor Valero emphasized the potential cumulative impacts on disadvantaged communities, which already face infrastructure and environmental challenges. Research cited by county planners indicates that statewide data center water consumption in California is projected to significantly increase by 2028, further underscoring the urgency for updated regulations, though a previous bill requiring water usage disclosure was vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom.