Residents turn out to oppose data center in Contra Costa County
Residents in Pittsburg, California, are vehemently opposing a data center development that the City Council approved in 2024. Over 300 people attended a City Council meeting, with more than 100 public comments and a petition gathering 13,000 signatures, to voice concerns about lack of transparency, environmental impact, and water/electricity usage, requesting a two-year moratorium. Mayor Dionne Adams acknowledged the concerns but provided no timeline for action.
More than 300 Pittsburg residents turned out to a recent City Council meeting to oppose a data center development approved by the city in 2024. Over 100 public comments were made by teachers, community leaders, and parents, highlighting frustrations over the city's decision and perceived lack of resident input. Lifelong resident Mark Linde, 68, who has been organizing opposition via Nextdoor since 2018, requested the council approve a two-year moratorium on the development and create a citizens' oversight committee.
The proposed three-story, 300-square-foot data center is planned for the former Delta View Golf Course, near a middle school and sports courts. It will generate 96 megawatts of power, use recycled water for cooling, and house 37 diesel-fueled backup generators. The project is the first phase of the "Pittsburg Technology Park," a name residents criticize as misleading. Critics, including 19-year-old Christina Webster, expressed concerns about increased water consumption and the environmental impact on local grasslands.
Jordan Davis, the city's director of community and economic development, stated that tax revenue from the data center would fund city programs and services, such as road paving and youth soccer fields, without costing residents directly. Davis asserted the city went "above and beyond" to inform residents through public hearings and email blasts. However, resident Amhari Perkins, who started a Change.org petition garnering 13,000 signatures in a week, criticized the lack of transparency, learning about the project through a council member's Facebook post. She emphasized the community's desire for meaningful communication over conflict.
Despite the city meeting legal public notification requirements, many residents expressed frustration over learning about the approved data center years after the decision. After two and a half hours of public comments, Mayor Dionne Adams confirmed the council would follow up on residents' concerns but did not provide a specific timeline for action.