Residents urge moratorium and stronger environmental review for proposed hyperscale AI data center

Scores of residents used the public comment periods at the Imperial County Board of Supervisors’ March 3 meeting to press the board for clearer positions and stronger controls on a proposed hyperscale AI data center. Francisco Ladd told the board the project is “not a routine warehouse” and asked supervisors to support a temporary moratorium on new data centers, discretionary environmental review near homes, minimum setback distances from houses, schools and parks, and independent verification of developers’ claims about water use and electric demand.

Several speakers raised related concerns about local water, air quality and electric-system capacity. Rob J. Garcia described the project as a 3,300-megawatt facility and asked the board to require zoning changes so data centers would be subject to case-by-case discretionary review rather than ministerial approval. Bridal Burton said Imperial County lacks “ample water and power” and urged the board to vet the developer’s background and financing. Gary Matalski linked fiscal and governance concerns to the county’s bond rating downgrade and called for timely audits.

Other commentators said the county had not provided sufficient public notice and information. Robert Powell criticized procedural changes at a prior meeting that he said limited non-agenda comments, and said county leaders should follow state planning law and maintain transparency. Sebastian Valencia and others asked for clearer outreach and more accessible information so residents can analyze environmental and economic claims themselves.

The board did not vote on or change any land-use rules at the meeting. Chairwoman Peggy Price acknowledged the intensity of public concern; earlier in the session the board had continued related planning hearings and staff said the applicant requested more time to revise its materials. County staff also noted that notices and supplemental materials for planning matters are available through the planning department and that any future applications will undergo required procedural and environmental review processes.

What happens next: staff told the board the applicant will be renoticed and the matter will return to the board at a later date; residents asked the county to consider updates to zoning, enforceable developer commitments and transparent, independent review of technical claims.