Naven calling for moratorium on data centers in City of Manteca
Manteca mayoral candidate Jacob Naven is advocating for a temporary moratorium on data centers in the city. He cites concerns about potential impacts on local infrastructure, including electricity and water, and the need for adequate zoning regulations before applications are accepted. Naven highlights a previous issue with gas station zoning as a reason for proactive planning.
Manteca mayoral candidate Jacob Naven has publicly called for a temporary moratorium on data center development within the city. Naven's primary concern is to prevent a repeat of past zoning issues, citing a recent "gas station snafu" where the city was disadvantaged due to a lack of specific regulations when applications were accepted. He emphasizes the need for Manteca to establish clear zoning and development rules to address citizen concerns regarding data centers before any applications are filed.
Naven highlighted potential community-wide policy implications, particularly concerning electricity and water consumption. He noted State Sen. Jerry McNerney's legislative efforts to ensure infrastructure for future data centers does not increase power bills for Californians. Regarding water, Naven pointed out that Manteca currently has approximately 20% of its surface water treatment plant capacity available through the South San Joaquin Irrigation District, but a large data center could rapidly consume this capacity, potentially impacting residential growth.
Fellow candidate Singh echoed Naven's sentiment, agreeing that Manteca should consider a temporary moratorium to assess zoning and other issues. Singh also noted the variety of data center types, some of which use significantly less water than "mega data centers." The article mentions that California currently hosts 296 data centers, placing it third nationally, and references a floating data center in Stockton and one near the Salton Sea in Imperial County.