San Joaquin County Data Center Moratorium Explained
The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a 45-day moratorium on new data center approvals in unincorporated areas, despite there being no current applications or operating facilities. County staff will study the potential effects on electricity demand, groundwater, agriculture, public safety, noise, heat and air quality before recommending longer-term regulations.
The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to impose an urgency ordinance freezing new data center-related land-use approvals in unincorporated parts of the county for 45 days. The moratorium covers zoning and general-plan amendments, use permits, variances, maps, and building or grading permits, while exempting smaller facilities serving entities such as hospitals, schools, utilities and emergency communications.
The county has no active data center applications or operating facilities in its unincorporated territory. Board Chair and District 3 Supervisor Sonny Dhaliwal said officials wanted public input before development begins, while county staff will study grid capacity, electricity costs, groundwater demand, agriculture, emergency response, diesel generators, heat, noise, vibration and other environmental and public-health impacts. The action follows similar data center pauses or regulatory efforts elsewhere in California, including Tulare County, Fresno, Patterson, Imperial County, San Francisco and Oakland.