Judge preparing to halt massive Imperial County data center, order environmental review
An Imperial County Superior Court judge issued a tentative decision to halt a massive data center project, overturning the county's prior approval and ordering an environmental review under CEQA. The decision, if upheld, would be a major victory for the City of Imperial and the Sierra Club, who sued to stop the project due to environmental concerns including energy and water usage. The ruling could delay the developer's plans by months or years, while the county also plans to introduce a new moratorium on data center development.
An Imperial County Superior Court judge is preparing to halt a 950,000-square-foot data center complex, ruling in a tentative decision that the Imperial County Board of Supervisors prejudicially abused its discretion by approving a lot merger for the project without first completing a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review.
Judge L. Brooks Anderholt's decision, if upheld, would overturn the county's approval and force planners to restart the approval process, undertaking a stricter environmental analysis. This comes after the City of Imperial and the Sierra Club sued to halt the project, arguing that developer Sebastian Rucci and his company, Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing (IVCM), should not proceed without a comprehensive review of potential impacts on the region's energy grid, air quality, and water supply.
The developer, Sebastian Rucci, who planned the computing warehouse to meet local zoning requirements for swift construction, stated he respects the judge's decision but will seek a hearing to contest the findings, citing potential delays costing the local economy. IVCM has also filed its own federal lawsuit against Imperial city officials, alleging unfair treatment.
Judge Anderholt identified several potential environmental risks that he believes the county should have evaluated more closely, including the vast energy demand, water supply needs, drainage systems, and the pollution potential of backup natural gas generators. The decision comes amidst a broader shift against AI infrastructure across California, with state lawmakers sending bills to Governor Gavin Newsom that would require data centers to report energy and water needs and pay special energy rates. Imperial County officials are also planning to introduce a new version of a data center moratorium.