‘This data center will come.’ The fight over California’s largest AI development

Sebastian Rucci, a first-time data center developer, proposes building the largest data center in California on 75 acres outside the city of Imperial in Imperial County. The nearly 1 million square foot facility is designed to house AI servers requiring 330 megawatts of power and 750,000 gallons of reclaimed water daily. The project faces significant opposition from local residents and city officials, who voice concerns about potential noise, air pollution from natural gas backup generators, increased electricity bills, and impacts on scarce water resources. Residents are actively gathering signatures for a "Imperial County Data Center Prohibition Act," a ballot initiative planned for November 2026, to block data centers in the county. The City of Imperial has also filed a lawsuit against Imperial County to compel a full environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), arguing that the county has not adequately consulted with the city or conducted sufficient environmental assessments. While a prior petition was dismissed, the city submitted a second on March 11. Rucci, through his company Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing, contends that the land is already zoned for industrial use, making a CEQA review unnecessary, and cites similar projects that received ministerial approval. California's Little Hoover Commission recently issued a report examining data centers' impact on the state's electricity system and environmental regulations, citing Rucci's project as an example where environmental claims are disputed. State Senator Steve Padilla has also introduced legislation to subject all future data center projects to CEQA.