Coachella could extend its data center ban through mid-2027
Coachella's city council is set to vote on extending its temporary ban on new data centers until mid-2027. This extension aims to provide staff time to draft a permanent ban and update zoning codes due to concerns about power, water, noise, and air pollution. The original ban followed resident opposition to a Stronghold Power project, which was subsequently halted.
The Coachella City Council is scheduled to vote Wednesday on extending its current temporary ban on new data centers until June 4, 2027. This proposed 10-month extension aims to provide city staff with sufficient time to finalize a permanent ordinance prohibiting data centers and to update existing zoning codes. The initial 45-day ban, set to expire on July 19, was enacted last month following strong community opposition.
Residents had packed city hall to protest Stronghold Power's planned "Coachella Valley Technology Campus" and its associated power center on the city's east side. In response to this public outcry, the council not only implemented the initial ban but also severed its utility agreement with Stronghold, effectively halting the proposed power facility.
City staff have highlighted significant concerns regarding data centers, particularly their intensive consumption of electricity and water, especially in a desert region grappling with drought conditions. They cite projections suggesting that AI data centers could account for 12% of the nation's electricity use and demand up to 32 billion gallons of water annually by 2028. Furthermore, staff raised issues of noise pollution from cooling systems and backup generators, which have reportedly caused health problems for residents near other data center sites, as well as air pollution from diesel generators. The existing zoning codes, predating the rise of data centers, are deemed inadequate to address these impacts.
The council will consider two options: extending the ban, which requires a four-fifths vote as an urgency ordinance, or allowing the current ban to lapse, potentially opening the door for new data center applications. City staff strongly recommend the extension. Concurrently, a draft permanent ban is already in progress, slated for review by the Planning Commission on July 18 and a first reading by the city council on August 12.