Hayward to consider temporary ban on data centers
The Hayward City Council is set to consider a temporary moratorium of up to two years on new data center development. The proposal follows community opposition to recent projects and would give city staff time to study resource use and impacts on residents.
The Hayward City Council is scheduled to consider an interim urgency ordinance that would pause new data center development for up to two years. Approval would require a four-fifths council vote and would allow city staff to examine data centers’ resource consumption and effects on residents.
Hayward has three operating data centers and another under construction, including the 49-megawatt Hayward Exchange @ 92 and the 76.6-megawatt STACK hyperscale facility. Community backlash over the STACK project previously led the city to adopt additional land-use rules and require City Council approval for projects larger than 50 megawatts.
The city currently has no pending data center applications, and a staff report warned that a moratorium could reduce future tax revenue. The STACK facility is estimated to generate $5 million to $9 million annually in tax revenue, while officials weigh Hayward’s proposal against similar actions elsewhere in the Bay Area.