Residents in unincorporated Tulare County have secured a 45-day pause on new data center projects, but opponents say the temporary measure does not go far enough.
The Fresno Bee reported local community organizations are now pressing county officials to replace the moratorium with a lasting ban.
Here's what to know
County supervisors put the short-term halt in place on Aug. 18 to review how data center development might affect health, safety, and local infrastructure before creating permanent rules.
The paper said residents and activists saw the decision as a positive step, even as many argued that stronger action is still needed.
Power California organizing director Joe Delgago told supporters the county's move should be seen as a starting point, not an endpoint.
"This movement is not going to stop," Delgago said at a rally, per the Bee. "You all called, you all show up here after work, tired, and let them know we don't want data centers here."
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Questions about the Tulare and Kings County fairgrounds are driving some of that opposition. The publication reported that fairgrounds are considering an arrangement with Global Stack LLC, a California company that wants to install edge computing systems at fairgrounds around the state.
The plan calls for compact, self-contained units that generate 8 to 10 megawatts each and measure about the size of a shipping container. In Tulare, the fair board delayed a decision on leasing two to five acres of underused fairgrounds land for the proposal.
More background
This debate has become about far more than land use. It has also raised questions about whether local water, air, and power systems should take on new industrial demands in a region already mindful of its resources.
Speaking at a rally, Hanford No Data Centers Townhall leader Amy Wilkinson hoped the efforts would spread elsewhere.
"I'm glad to hear that the Tulare County board has put a moratorium on data centers," Wilkinson said, per the Bee. "I hope that elected representatives in Kings County and all the other counties in the Central Valley take similar action."
Supporters of the project, meanwhile, have emphasized financial concerns. The Tulare and Kings County fairgrounds have looked at the partnership as a way to strengthen their finances and keep operating as year-round public venues, according to the Bee.
What's being done?
The moratorium is intended to give county officials time to examine possible impacts before any projects are allowed to proceed. Even with that review period in place, residents are still urging elected officials to adopt a permanent ban.
The Tulare Fair Board has also tried to calm speculation about the proposal, the Bee noted.
"First and foremost, the board and staff have not approved, proposed or entertained the development of any commercial data center on the Tulare County Fairgrounds," Tulare Fair Board President Gary Castro said at the meeting.
Even so, opponents say their campaign is continuing.
"We can't settle for protecting our land, air, and water resources in the short term," Wilkinson said, according to the paper.
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