South El Monte Puts 45 Day Moratorium on Data Center and Battery Facility Development
The South El Monte City Council unanimously approved a 45-day moratorium on new data center and battery energy storage system development. Residents cited water, electricity, air quality, health and fire-safety concerns, while labor representatives and industry supporters argued that the projects could provide jobs and should be evaluated through normal planning processes.
The South El Monte City Council voted 5-0 to impose a 45-day moratorium on data centers and battery energy storage systems. Mayor Gloria Olmos also called for a future agenda item to consider a permanent ban. No data centers are currently under development in the city, but residents urged officials to act preemptively amid concerns about water supplies, electricity costs, fire risk, health and climate impacts.
The decision divided residents, labor representatives and industry advocates. Supporters of the moratorium cited a recent battery-storage fire in La Verne, while representatives of construction unions argued that data centers can be operated safely, provide needed jobs and should undergo a reasonable review through established planning and permitting processes. The debate also referenced the recently rejected Lexington-Gallatin warehouse project by Magellan Value Partners.