Santa Clara wants better water, air standards for data centers
Santa Clara officials unanimously approved a plan to develop stronger water-use and air-quality standards for data centers and conduct a broader review of their health, safety and community impacts. Council members also plan to revisit a proposed moratorium on new standalone data centers, while electricity-capacity constraints continue to affect projects in the pipeline.
The Santa Clara City Council unanimously directed staff to prioritize new water and air-quality standards for data centers and undertake a broader policy review covering health and safety, siting and community benefits. The city is considering numerical recycled-water requirements and potentially mandating more efficient cooling systems; existing rules require recycled-water use but do not specify a minimum amount. Data centers currently account for about 26% of Santa Clara’s recycled-water consumption.
A proposed moratorium was not considered after the Oct. 6 meeting ended, but Councilmember Karen Hardy said she plans to bring it back for discussion. Councilmember Kevin Park also supported a moratorium, citing concerns that developers can pursue land-use approvals despite Silicon Valley Power’s inability to commit additional electricity capacity. The city has 56 active data centers and two approved projects that have not begun construction, while most new facilities would require discretionary conditional-use permits and City Council approval.