California Officials Improperly Shielded Data Center From Review
A California state court ruled that Imperial County officials improperly exempted a proposed one-million-square-foot artificial intelligence data center from environmental review. The court mandated a full environmental impact report under the California Environmental Quality Act before the project can proceed. This decision challenges the county's prior approval process.
The California Superior Court issued a tentative ruling by Judge L. Brooks Anderholt, stating that Imperial County officials violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The court found that the county improperly exempted Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing LLC's proposed one-million-square-foot artificial intelligence data center from required environmental scrutiny. As a result, the court has ordered Imperial County to prepare a comprehensive environmental impact report under CEQA before any approval can be granted for the data center campus planned for Imperial, California.