Pittsburg weighs 45-day moratorium on new data centers
Pittsburg City Council is considering a 45-day moratorium on new data center proposals and future phases of the Pittsburg Technology Park. The pause would not affect AVAIO Digital’s already-approved Project Perseus, but residents and high school students are calling for a broader halt because of concerns about energy use, emissions and the project’s environmental impacts.
Pittsburg Councilmember Juan Antonio Banales proposed a 45-day moratorium covering future phases of the Pittsburg Technology Park and new data center proposals. The measure, which is scheduled for further council discussion Oct. 26, would exclude the first phase of AVAIO Digital’s Project Perseus, approved in 2024 and planned for the former Delta View Golf Course.
Project Perseus has not yet broken ground and is designed to begin with a 99-megawatt facility, potentially expanding to 500 megawatts in phases. Residents have criticized the project’s expected power consumption, backup-generator emissions and approval process, while dozens of Pittsburg High School students staged a walkout and protested at City Hall. City officials say a moratorium would give a newly formed citizens advisory committee time to develop standards for future facilities.