Imperial Valley city sues to force environmental review of massive data center project

The city of Imperial, California is suing to halt the development of a massive data center project proposed for the Imperial Valley. The lawsuit alleges that the Imperial County government violated environmental laws and regulations by prematurely approving the project without adequate public input. The data center, proposed by developer Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing, would have a power rating of 330 megawatts and consume 750,000 gallons of water per day. Critics are concerned about the environmental impact of the facility, including its energy and water usage. The developer has defended the project as being located on industrially zoned land, but the city disputes this claim. The lawsuit has sparked a broader debate over the rapid expansion of data centers and their effect on local communities.