11 candidates vying for 3 seats in the Pittsburg City Council race
Pittsburg’s approved AVAIO Digital data center has become a major issue in the city council election, with residents and candidates criticizing the project’s approval process and potential environmental impacts. Three candidates support a moratorium on future data centers, while the city has paused further project discussions and formed a citizen advisory committee to recommend standards.
An approved 99-megawatt data center planned for Pittsburg Technology Park is shaping the race for three seats on the Pittsburg City Council. Developed by AVAIO Digital, the first phase would occupy about 22 acres of the former Delta View Golf Course and include a three-story building, backup generators, an electrical substation and a commercial power switching yard. The project has not yet broken ground, and power and infrastructure agreements remain under negotiation.
Residents and candidates have raised concerns about transparency, public participation and environmental impacts, saying they expected a broader business and technology park rather than a data center. Candidates Amhari Perkins, Alvin Nelson and Pauline Johnson support a moratorium on future data center projects, while Mayor Dionne Adams said she has pushed for more public engagement and additional council discussion. The city announced a citizen advisory committee in August to develop standards for future data centers and said work on the project was paused while a community framework is considered. The facility is expected to receive power from the Pittsburg Power Company, with recycled water from the Delta Diablo Treatment Plant used for its air-cooled biodiesel backup generators.