Siskiyou County Supervisors say they are not considering approving AI data center
The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors stated they are not considering a proposal for an AI data center near Mount Shasta, despite public outcry and death threats related to the project. Residents appeared at a board meeting to oppose the plan, which was not on the agenda, due to concerns over water usage.
The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors has publicly stated they are not considering a proposal to build an artificial intelligence data center at the former Crystal Geyser bottling plant near Mount Shasta, California. This announcement followed significant public opposition, including numerous letters, phone calls, and residents attending a recent board meeting to express disapproval, even though the item was not on the official agenda.
Commissioner Ray Haupt confirmed the county has no data center proposals pending. Mount Shasta City Manager Todd Juhasz indicated an unnamed company had approached city officials about the property, likely due to its existing water rights and a high-capacity well. Opponents are concerned about the substantial water consumption of data centers for cooling servers.
The Mount Shasta Police Department has reported receiving death threats over the proposed data center and vowed to investigate and prosecute those responsible. The property, located in unincorporated Siskiyou County but being considered for annexation by Mount Shasta, was purchased in 2022 by Bay Area firm One Shasta, LLC, and its listing described it as "ideal for data centers or other uses with high water needs."