Community urges permanent ban on data centers at Tulare fairgrounds
Tulare County supervisors enacted a 45-day moratorium on data center development, but community groups are pressing for a permanent ban. This comes amidst strong local opposition to a potential data center project by Global Stack LLC at the Tulare County Fairgrounds, a decision for which the fair board previously tabled action.
Community groups and residents in Tulare County, California, are advocating for a permanent prohibition on data center development, even after the Tulare County Board of Supervisors enacted a 45-day moratorium. The temporary ban, approved on Tuesday, aims to provide time to assess the potential impacts of data centers on public health, safety, and infrastructure before establishing long-term regulations. Joe Delgago, organizing director of Power California, emphasized the community's unwavering opposition, stating, "This movement is not going to stop."
The immediate focus of the opposition is a proposed small data center project at the Tulare County Fairgrounds. Global Stack LLC, a California-based company, is evaluating a partnership to construct a network of compact 8- to 10-megawatt edge computing systems at fairgrounds across the state, including Tulare and Kings counties. The Tulare Fair Board had previously tabled a decision on leasing up to five acres for this project. Fair Board President Gary Castro clarified that the board has not yet approved or even formally proposed such a development, despite the ongoing discussions. Leaders from groups like Hanford No Data Centers Townhall, including Amy Wilkinson, expressed gratitude for the Tulare County moratorium and urged similar actions from elected officials in Kings County and other Central Valley areas to protect regional resources. The cities of Hanford and Visalia have also voiced opposition to data center developments.