AI data center developer spent $30,000 on a local utility board race — and voters still rejected its candidate

A Southern California artificial intelligence data center developer spent about $30,000 on a local race for a seat on one of Imperial Valley's most powerful public utility boards, yet voters rejected the candidate it backed.

The result highlights how disputes over AI infrastructure, water use, and pressure on the electric grid are becoming a political flashpoint in communities being asked to host major new developments.

What happened?

According to KPBS, incumbent Alex Cardenas won reelection to the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) Board of Directors in a June primary, defeating Carlos Duran by a wide margin. By Friday morning, Cardenas had received more than 1,700 votes, while Duran had about 900.

The contest drew outsized attention because Duran was supported by Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing (IVCM), a Huntington Beach developer behind a proposed 950,000-square-foot AI data center complex in the area. Duran had also previously worked for the company as a spokesperson.

The district provides power to more than 160,000 customers across the Imperial and Coachella valleys and also manages longstanding claims by Imperial Valley farmers to water from the Colorado River.

After the election, Cardenas said: "The voters and the ratepayers and water users spoke loud and clear. They want a transparent government that doesn't placate to special interests."

Why does it matter?

IVCM's proposed project has alarmed many residents because it could use nearly twice as much electricity as the entire county used in 2024, along with 750,000 gallons of water per day.

AI can help improve forecasting, manage electricity demand, and support cleaner, more efficient energy systems.

At the same time, AI data centers can consume enormous amounts of electricity and water, potentially straining local grids, driving up costs, and raising new security and oversight concerns if growth outpaces planning.

What's being done?

Local opponents have already begun to mobilize against the proposed data center. Following Duran's loss, the local coalition against the project — called NIMBY Imperial — said his campaign had devoted more energy to criticizing existing district leadership than to explaining how he would make the agency better.

Francisco Leal, a City of Imperial resident and lead organizer in the coalition, said: "He drilled really hard on just bashing and talking bad about his opponent. When he should have been campaigning on ways to improve and do good things for the community."

Utility officials who oppose the project also saw the race as an important check on outside influence. Earlier this year, IID Chairwoman Karin Eugenio viewed Duran's campaign as a bid for political power in the Imperial Valley, according to KPBS.

You may not often think of your local utility or water governing boards, but they often make decisions affecting housing growth, industrial development, energy reliability, and public costs.

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