Arcata Official Clarifies Local Data Center's Impact Amid Utility Concerns; Moratorium Discussed
Arcata residents are concerned about their local data center, EDCACV01, attributing rising utility costs to it. City officials clarify that this specific data center, owned by EdgeConnex, is a small fiber-optic cable landing station and not a hyperscale facility, using minimal water and electricity. Despite this, some city council members are interested in proposing a moratorium to re-evaluate land use codes for future data center development.
Arcata, California, residents have voiced concerns regarding the EDCACV01 data center, linking it to rising water rates and electricity bills. During a recent city council meeting, building official Joe Bishop addressed these anxieties, explaining that the EdgeConnex-owned facility, located at 11th Street and the Bay Trail, is a relatively small fiber-optic cable landing station, not a hyperscale data center. He clarified that EDCACV01 uses minimal water for plumbing and about half a megawatt of electricity, comparing it to the needs of roughly 400 homes, in stark contrast to the millions of gallons and vast energy consumed by large AI-focused data centers.
Bishop noted that any future data center construction in Arcata would require "industrial general" zoning and a conditional use permit from the planning commission. City Manager Merritt Perry confirmed interest from at least one company in building another data center.
In response to community apprehension, three council members—Sarah Schaefer, Stacy Atkins-Salazar, and Meredith Matthews—expressed interest in enacting a 45-day moratorium on data center construction. Councilmember Atkins-Salazar aims to vote on such a measure at the upcoming council meeting, allowing the city to reassess and update its land use code to define appropriate types of data centers for Arcata.