On the agenda: a data center ban, Polluters Pay funds and new police cameras
The Richmond City Council is set to discuss and potentially adopt a 45-day temporary ban on new data centers, following a lease by OpenAI for a 202,000-square-foot warehouse. This proposed moratorium aims to allow the city to study how to regulate data centers. Environmental groups are organizing a rally in opposition to data center development before the council's vote.
The Richmond City Council is scheduled to hold its first regular meeting after summer vacation to address a packed agenda, with a proposed 45-day temporary ban on new data centers being a primary topic. The urgency ordinance, if approved, would allow the city to study potential regulations for data centers and would make Richmond the second Bay Area city to enact such a ban, following Oakley.
The proposal comes after OpenAI leased a large 202,000-square-foot warehouse at 1411 Harbour Way South. The council first directed staff to draft the moratorium language in April, shortly after OpenAI's lease became public knowledge. There are currently no pending data center applications in Richmond.
In anticipation of the vote, Communities for a Better Environment, in coalition with groups like the Asian Pacific Environmental Network and Food & Water Watch, is organizing a rally at City Hall. The environmental groups are also advocating for the city to move forward with resident involvement in deciding how to spend $550 million from a Chevron Polluters Pay settlement.