Pittsburg controversy over data center on old Delta View Golf Course

The City of Pittsburg, California, is advancing plans for a 300,000-square-foot data center on the former Delta View Golf Course, despite a contentious city council meeting and active community resistance. AI developer Avaio Digital is slated to build the facility, projected for completion in 2027. City leaders underscore the project's potential for significant municipal revenue and local job creation.

However, residents, led by individuals like Sonia Karem and Miguel Alvarado, have expressed profound concerns during public comment periods. Their grievances encompass the data center's projected energy consumption, its strain on an already "struggling power grid," massive water usage, increased noise levels, and exacerbated traffic congestion along West Leland Road. Some also fear the industrial footprint will permanently alter the city's character. An online petition against the project has garnered over 13,700 signatures.

The project faces a legal challenge from the Center for Biological Diversity, which filed a lawsuit in December. The lawsuit alleges that city officials failed to adequately identify and analyze the project's environmental impacts on local wildlife and greenhouse gas emissions, despite the city's commissioned environmental review concluding that impacts could be mitigated.

In response to community concerns, city officials have provided assurances, stating that the data center's power will come from the Pittsburg Power Company, separate from the PG&E residential grid, preventing increased local rates. They also indicated that cooling water would primarily be recycled from the Delta Diablo treatment plant, estimated to be less than 1% of its current recycled water output. Additionally, noise mitigation measures and a 400-foot setback from homes are planned. The neighboring city of Oakley recently approved a ban on data centers, highlighting broader regional discussions on digital infrastructure expansion.