Calexico approves ban on data centers
The City of Calexico, California, has unanimously approved a permanent ban on data centers within its city limits, making it the third city in the state to do so. This decision, enacted via an ordinance, followed extensive community discussion and concerns regarding infrastructure, water usage, and energy demands. The city manager noted that data centers were already not expressly permitted under the city's zoning, but the new ordinance strengthens this prohibition.
The City of Calexico, California, has officially enacted a permanent ban on data centers within its city limits, following a unanimous 3-0 vote by its city council on September 16. This decision makes Calexico the third city in California to prohibit data centers.
The ban comes after months of public discussions and council meetings, driven by concerns over infrastructure strain, significant water usage, high energy demands, and potential community impacts. City Manager Ben Martinez explained that while data centers were not expressly listed as permitted uses in Calexico's permissive zoning ordinance, the new ordinance explicitly prohibits them, reinforcing the city's policy stance.
Community members, including health professionals and environmental activists like Fernando Marquez Duarte of the Environmental Justice Border Committee and Dr. Astrid M. Calderas of Econciencia y Salud, spoke passionately against data centers, citing environmental burdens on an already-impacted community. Longtime activist Gilberto Manzanarez described hyperscale data centers as