Palm Springs council to consider temporary ban on data centers amid regional push
The Palm Springs City Council is set to consider a 45-day moratorium on data center development due to concerns over electricity and water demands, limited employment, and infrastructure strain. This move follows similar actions by neighboring cities Indio and Coachella, which are pursuing permanent bans on data centers.
The Palm Springs City Council is scheduled to vote on August 26 on an urgency ordinance that would impose a 45-day moratorium on accepting, processing, or approving data center applications. The temporary ban aims to allow the city to study the facilities' impact on infrastructure and revise its zoning code to address data center development.
The proposal is driven by concerns highlighted by city staff, including data centers' high electricity and water consumption, potential air pollution from backup power, and the strain on local electrical grids and water supplies. Additionally, officials are evaluating the limited long-term employment opportunities offered by highly automated data centers and their demand for significant land in an area with limited developable space.
Palm Springs' consideration of a moratorium aligns with a regional trend in the Coachella Valley. Indio previously adopted and extended a 45-day moratorium and has since directed staff to prepare an ordinance for a permanent ban. Similarly, Coachella extended its moratorium and gave initial approval to a permanent data center ban, with a final vote expected soon. The proposed Palm Springs ordinance defines data centers broadly, encompassing various digital infrastructure uses, and if approved, the initial moratorium would expire on October 10.