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Council directs staff to craft data‑center and battery‑storage policy amid concerns about AI computing impacts
Summary
Council voted to direct staff to draft a policy to classify, zone and regulate data centers and high‑density AI computing by electrical demand, water use, noise and public‑safety impacts; members asked staff to examine prohibitions for very large facilities, thresholds for residential server operations, and battery‑storage implications and return recommended definitions and zoning options.
Council directed staff to develop a policy regulating data centers and high‑density AI computing within city limits. The motion asked staff to identify classifications and thresholds based on facility size, maximum contracted electrical capacity, water use, noise and public safety impacts and to consider prohibiting large commercial AI/data‑center projects.
Council members asked staff to include battery‑storage facilities in the analysis and to consider residential‑scale and solicited server operations (for example, server loads hosted within homes or garages) while distinguishing normal residential computer use. Staff will review examples from other jurisdictions and return with recommended definitions, zoning and permitting approaches.
