Anti-Data Center Organizers Run for Office in California After Ballot Initiative Successes
Grassroots organizers Steven Kung and Amy J. Wong are running for city council in Monterey Park and Alhambra, California, respectively, after successfully opposing data center developments. Kung led a ballot initiative resulting in Monterey Park's citywide data center ban, while Wong is campaigning for a similar ban in Alhambra, both highlighting local government transparency and environmental concerns. Their campaigns reflect a growing anti-data center movement in Los Angeles County.
Grassroots organizers Steven Kung of Monterey Park and Amy J. Wong of Alhambra, California, are campaigning for city council seats in their respective cities in the November election, leveraging momentum from their successful anti-data center activism. Kung, a co-founder of No Data Center Monterey Park, played a pivotal role in passing a historic citywide data center ban through a public vote in June, making Monterey Park the first city in California to enact such a measure. This initiative followed a proposal by developer HMC StratCap for a hyper-scale data center near his home.
Wong, who also championed the Monterey Park fight and organized teach-ins in other cities like Alhambra, is now running for Alhambra District 1's open seat. Her campaign focuses on government responsiveness and potentially making Alhambra the second California city to pass a data center ban via Measure DB. Their platforms emphasize local government transparency, addressing community concerns over data centers' environmental impact, including power and water consumption, increased utility rates, and potential fire hazards.
The anti-data center movement has gained traction across Los Angeles County, influencing local politics. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is studying the impact of data centers on public utilities and health. El Monte recently enacted a 45-day moratorium on new data center applications, and a developer withdrew a project in El Segundo due to resident opposition. The candidates' runs reflect a nationwide trend of community opposition to data center development becoming a significant issue in local elections, with a May Gallup poll indicating widespread public opposition to data center construction in local areas.