Mount Shasta Rejects a Proposed AI Data Center Drinking Its Famous Water
A proposed AI data center in Mount Shasta, California, is facing strong local opposition due to concerns about its high water consumption, which threatens the region's prized aquifers. City officials and the Winnemem Wintu Tribe are against the project, despite it being located in unincorporated Siskiyou County, with the city working to annex the land for more control. The county is set to review the matter in July.
A proposal for an AI data center at the former Crystal Geyser bottling plant near Mount Shasta, California, has encountered significant opposition from local officials and the community. City Manager Todd Juhasz revealed the inquiry from an unnamed company during a recent City Council meeting, stating his intention to reject the proposal primarily due to the data center's substantial water demands for cooling. Juhasz emphasized that the estimated 15 jobs offered by the company do not justify the potential strain on the area's crucial aquifers.
The proposed site holds historical significance, having been the subject of a previous water bottling controversy that led to Crystal Geyser abandoning its plans in 2021 after intense opposition, notably from the Winnemem Wintu Tribe. The Tribe has once again emerged to voice its objection to the data center project.
A jurisdictional complexity arises because the plant is situated in unincorporated Siskiyou County, granting the county initial approval authority. However, Mount Shasta is actively pursuing annexation of the land to gain greater control over such developments. Public sentiment has been highly charged, with numerous emails and reports of threats to council members. Siskiyou County is scheduled to address the issue on July 7 in Yreka, followed by a Mount Shasta City Council meeting on July 13, signaling the commencement of a protracted dispute in a community deeply protective of its water resources.