San Joaquin County halts new data center approvals amid water, power concerns
The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a 45-day moratorium on new data center land-use approvals in unincorporated areas. Officials will study potential impacts on electricity demand, groundwater, agriculture, public safety, noise and surrounding communities before developing permanent regulations.
The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to impose a 45-day moratorium on new data center approvals in unincorporated parts of the county. The urgency ordinance covers zoning and land-use amendments, permits, variances, maps, and building or grading approvals for qualifying large-scale facilities, particularly hyperscale projects associated with artificial intelligence.
Community Development Director Jennifer Jolly said the county will examine grid capacity, electricity costs, groundwater demand, agriculture, emergency response, noise, heat, vibration and diesel backup generators. County officials said no formal data center application is pending, while the county plans to return within six months with a broader impact assessment and options for permanent regulations. The action follows separate debate in Stockton, where officials removed data centers from an economic development plan while holding community listening sessions.
Stockton already hosts a 6.5-megawatt facility operated by Nautilus Data Technologies at the Port of Stockton. The facility supports AI, cloud storage, enterprise and local government customers and uses San Joaquin River water in its cooling system, though the article notes that circulated water volumes do not represent total consumption.