Data center moratorium extended in Tulare County, as community calls for permanent ban

VISALIA

The Tulare County Board of Supervisor extended the moratorium on data center development in any unincorporated part of the county for an additional ten months and fifteen days after holding a public hearing Tuesday morning where people on both sides of the issue spoke.

The initial 45-day moratorium introduced by the board on Aug. 18 — with the possibility of extension up to a year — aimed to evaluate the impact of data centers on the county’s resources and infrastructure. The initial moratorium ordinance would have expired on Oct. 2.

The board reviewed preliminary findings on electrical demand, water use, and potential regulatory options from zoning requirements to conditional use permits. The board unanimously approved Tuesday to extend the moratorium and requested regular updates, especially for comprehensive land use regulations.

Michael Washam with the county’s Resource Management Agency told the board they have created a dedicated page on the county’s Resource Management Agency’s website where people can see what the county is studying, current status as well as an opportunity for the public to share feedback and provide information in their comments with a dedicated email TCDataCenters@tularecounty.ca.gov. A community online survey will be available in the coming weeks.

Supervisor Amy Shuklian told the public that the board’s jurisdiction on the moratorium is only for unincorporated areas of the county and not within city limits.

Supervisor Eddie Valero asked Washam after the county completes its analysis, if one of those recommendations could be “no data centers given the level of impact to our land, water and so forth?”

“All options are on the table, so that could be the result,” Washam said. He said it will be up to the board to make the final decision of the staff’s recommendations on data centers.

During the public hearing, county residents and community advocates expressed their concerns about environmental impacts, including air and water pollution, and demanded supervisors implement a permanent ban.

The hearing also included some interruptions, resulting in a brief recess. Shuklian directed individuals who continued disrupting the public hearing to leave the chambers.

“Residents across Tulare County, including Matheny Tract, Tooleville, and Pixley, are deeply concerned about the potential impacts of data center development in their already impacted communities,” said Mariela Loera, policy manager with Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability. “These communities already face significant environmental burdens, including drinking water challenges, high electricity costs, and poor air quality.”

Loera urged the county “to use this temporary pause to decide how to move forward with a permanent ban.”

Yolanda Terrazas said extending the moratorium was not enough, and the county needs to permanently ban the construction of data centers and focus on things that will benefit the community, including schools and hospitals.

“Tulare County communities are living paycheck to paycheck, to survive a cost-of-living crisis that’s only getting worse,” said Joe Delgado, Organizing Director with Power California. “Residents here need economic relief. Instead, our representatives fast track profitable projects, while failing to address critical and urgent solutions, such as ensuring Tulare County residents have access to clean and safe water.”

During the public hearing, a representative of the California Construction Labor Management Trust, a coalition of construction companies, requested the board to vote no to extend the urgency ordinance, saying the coalition believes it was not compliant with some government codes.

The Board also voted 3-2 to adopt a letter of opposition to the construction of data centers within the boundaries of Tulare County, with supervisors Valero and Dennis Townsend dissenting.