Oakland passes 45-day data center moratorium
Oakland and San Francisco approved 45-day moratoriums on new data center construction amid resident concerns about utility costs, environmental impacts and limited community benefits. Oakland officials will use the pause to study the effects of data centers, with the possibility of extending it if the review is not complete.
Oakland and San Francisco have each approved 45-day moratoriums on new data center development as opposition spreads across the Bay Area. In Oakland, residents rallied outside City Hall in support of a pause proposed by Council Member Carroll Fife, giving city officials time to study potential impacts on local communities.
Residents questioned whether data centers would deliver meaningful jobs or broader public benefits, while expressing concerns about rising utility use and costs and environmental risks. The moratoriums follow similar actions in Gilroy, Oakley and Richmond, and San Francisco's Planning Department is separately studying the effects of large data center facilities on surrounding areas. Oakland could extend its moratorium if the study is not completed within 45 days.