Letters: Before putting data centers on California fairgrounds, we need real numbers about them
A letter to the editor expresses concerns about Global Stack's proposal to build up to 70 data centers on California fairgrounds due to a lack of transparency regarding their energy and water consumption. The author advocates for state lawmakers to require disclosure of these figures before any leases are signed, referencing existing Senate Bills aimed at ratepayer protection and infrastructure cost disclosure.
Tom Rettig of Hercules, in a letter to the San Francisco Chronicle, voiced strong concerns regarding Global Stack's proposal to develop up to 70 data centers on California fairgrounds, including eight in the Bay Area. Rettig criticized the company's "vague assurances" and the absence of clear data on the proposed facilities' impact on the state's already scarce and expensive electricity and water supplies. Each site is estimated to draw up to 10 megawatts, equivalent to the consumption of 10,000 households, with the entire project potentially creating a significant new class of ratepayers over a proposed 100-year lease.
Rettig pointed to existing state legislative efforts, specifically Senate Bills 886 and 887, authored by State Sen. Steve Padilla, which are designed to create a ratepayer-protection tariff and link faster permitting to the disclosure of water use, energy use, and full infrastructure costs. The letter urged lawmakers to mandate that Global Stack publish these critical figures, both per site and in total, before any fairground enters into a lease agreement. The call for transparency comes amidst a broader boom in data center construction fueled by demand for AI infrastructure, as exemplified by a 49.5-megawatt data center currently under construction in Vernon, Los Angeles County.