The ripple effects of organizing against data centers
Residents in Monterey Park, California, successfully organized against a proposed StratCap data center, leading the City Council to enact a moratorium and approve a ballot measure for a permanent ban, causing the developer to withdraw. This success inspired other San Gabriel Valley cities to adopt similar data center restrictions or bans, highlighting community concerns over power, water, and pollution. A regional coalition is now working to further oppose data center developments across the valley.
In Monterey Park, California, a grassroots movement effectively halted a proposed data center development by StratCap, setting a precedent for other communities in the San Gabriel Valley. The initiative began when Hrag Balian and Emily Chu discovered the project and, with the help of San Gabriel Valley Progressive Action (SGVPA), launched the "No Data Center Monterey Park" campaign. This effort mobilized hundreds of residents who packed City Council meetings to voice concerns about the data center's immense power and water consumption—calculated to triple the city's power use and require 12 million gallons of water annually—as well as potential air and groundwater pollution from diesel generators and "forever chemicals."
The community's organized opposition proved successful. In January, the Monterey Park City Council passed a moratorium on data center construction. By March, the council approved a ballot measure aimed at a complete ban, leading the developer, StratCap, to withdraw its proposal later that spring. This victory spurred a broader coalition, "No Data Centers San Gabriel Valley," to advocate for the June 2 ballot measure and support other cities in their own fights against data center proposals.
Inspired by Monterey Park's success, Baldwin Park, Montebello, and El Monte also passed data center moratoriums, and Alhambra enacted a ban through zoning changes. Organizer Sam Brown Vazquez, fighting a data center proposal in the City of Industry, adopted strategies like "art builds" and teach-ins modeled after the Monterey Park campaign. While the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors rejected a county-wide moratorium, they approved a motion for an environmental and health report on data centers, keeping a ban open for future consideration. Organizers emphasize the importance of sustained community engagement and strategic action, viewing this movement as a powerful example of residents taking control of local development and challenging the perceived inevitability of hyperscale AI data centers.