City of San Diego considering data center development pause on Tuesday
The San Diego City Council is considering a moratorium on new data center development to allow time for studying and potentially adopting regulations. The proposal would not affect the federally owned former NAWS site, where Manchester Financial Group is pursuing a potential 400-megawatt data center that has drawn concerns about electricity, water and air impacts.
The San Diego City Council is scheduled to consider an immediate moratorium on future data center development within the city. If approved by a four-fifths vote, the pause would last at least 45 days and could later be extended for more than 10 months while officials study where and under what conditions data centers should be permitted.
The proposed moratorium would not directly affect the potential data center at the federally owned former NAWS site, which is operated by the U.S. Navy. Manchester Financial Group won a Navy bid to develop the site, where a 400-megawatt facility has been proposed. If built, it could become California's largest data center and consume as much electricity as roughly 320,000 homes. Residents and activists at a recent rally cited possible effects on San Diego's water supply, air quality and electricity system, while city leaders urged Congress and the region's congressional delegation to address the federal project.