Gilroy residents push back on Amazon data center project
Gilroy residents are opposing an Amazon data center project approved by the city's Community Development Director without a public vote. Concerns revolve around the data center's significant electricity and water demands, as well as a lack of transparency in the approval process. Amazon is holding community meetings to address these issues and details plans for water reclamation and its own energy substation.
Residents in Gilroy, California, are expressing strong opposition to a proposed Amazon data center project. The facility, intended for Amazon Web Services (AWS), is being developed on a 56-acre site on Arroyo Circle within an industrial zone. The approval process, managed by the city's Community Development Director, bypassed a public vote and city council hearing, leading to resident complaints that they were unaware of the project until construction began earlier this month.
Key concerns among residents include the potential strain on local resources such as electricity and water, along with worries about increased cost of living and the project's massive energy consumption. The group Silicon Valley Resistance has launched a petition to halt the project, seeking clarification from Amazon on whether the data center will support AI operations, its specific water usage estimates, and the timeline for implementing recycled water infrastructure.
Amazon responded to inquiries by noting its long-standing presence in Northern California since 2009 and emphasizing a deliberate development process. The company stated it plans to use significantly less water than critics suggest, much of it reclaimed, and intends to build its own energy substation. Amazon also committed to utilizing carbon-free energy throughout the Gilroy Data Center's lifespan.
Amazon officials are scheduled to address these concerns at a community meeting on June 3rd at Gilroy High School. Additionally, the Gilroy City Council will hold a discussion on June 15th to review how such projects are approved in the future, as residents advocate for greater transparency and public involvement in similar developments.