NO TO DATA CENTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, OR IN AMERICA.
....................................................... why should a community in the united states not approve an installation of a large data center.
Communities across the United States are pushing back against large data centers because.....these massive facilities strain local utilities, consume vast natural resources, and offer few long-term jobs for the community.
While tech companies promise economic growth, residents frequently find that the local costs outweigh the benefits.
High Strain on Local Infrastructure:
Grid Overload: Data centers consume massive amounts of electricity, which can lead to higher power rates and blackout risks for nearby homes.
Water Depletion: Cooling systems can drain up to 5 million gallons of water per day, threatening local water supplies and neglected water infrastructure.
Road Damage: Heavy truck traffic during long construction periods degrades local roads and increases traffic congestion.
Environmental and Health Concerns:
Noise Pollution: Large backup generators and cooling fans run constantly, creating a disruptive, steady hum that upsets neighbors and skittish farm animals.
Air Pollution: Industrial diesel backup generators emit heavy pollutants into the air during testing and emergency power outages.
Dirty Energy Use: Many facilities rely on local fossil fuels like coal and gas, working against local climate and green energy goals.
Low Economic Return for Residents Very Few Jobs: While construction creates temporary work, a completed data center only requires a few dozen permanent employees to run. Most of the other employees are janitors and security services.
Loss of Better Land Uses: These sprawling complexes take up hundreds of acres of valuable farmland or historic sites, blocking more useful community spaces.
Common concerns driving community opposition include: Strained Power Grids & Higher Utility Bills: Data centers—especially those powering AI—require immense amounts of electricity. Communities often see their local energy rates increase, as costly grid upgrades are passed down to residents rather than the developers.
Massive Water Consumption: Facilities require billions of gallons of water annually for cooling systems. This creates alarm in drought-prone areas or regions where communities are already facing depleting water supplies. And for all the water used, about 80% is evaporated.
Noise, Water and Air Pollution: The cooling fans, heavy industrial equipment, and backup diesel generators produce continuous, low-frequency humming and localized air pollution. After any water left over from usage, is disposed into the local community.
Minimal Job Creation: While construction generates temporary jobs, fully operational data centers are largely automated and employ relatively few permanent staff.
Disrupted Land Use: Communities frequently criticize these massive, windowless warehouses for destroying green spaces, ruining local aesthetics, and lowering nearby property values.
Because of these widespread issues, local groups and activists across the country have successfully delayed, paused, or blocked tens of billions of dollars in data center projects. And......it is just beginning. All data centers should be shut down immediately. They cannot operate their ELECTRONIC LIBRARY in a "cost effective" manner or pollution free operation.
Why did the city of Tucson arizona refuse to have a data center built in their city?
The Tucson City Council unanimously voted to reject a massive data center project, known as Project Blue, due to extreme community backlash over water and energy use in a fragile desert environment.
The facility, which was later revealed to be tied to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and developer Beale Infrastructure, was blocked in August 2025 when the city refused to annex the proposed land and denied the project access to Tucson's water resources.
The decision came down to several major concerns raised by both residents and city leaders:
Water Scarcity:
Huge Demand: Data centers require millions of gallons of water to keep their computer servers from overheating.
Drought Worries: Officials estimated the facility would become the area's top water user, consuming as much water as an 18-hole golf course or 1,800 homes. In a region facing persistent drought, residents argued this was an unsafe strain on the watershed.
Drinking Water Use: Public anger grew when it was revealed the facility planned to use valuable drinking water for its cooling systems during its first two years of operation.
Energy Strain and Utility Costs:
Grid Capacity: The data center would have required 600 megawatts of electricity per year, which is more than 20% of Tucson’s entire power capacity.
Fossil Fuels: Local power companies noted that over 80% of that energy would come from non-renewable sources, conflicting with Tucson's climate goals.
Higher Bills: Residents were highly concerned that the massive strain on the local power grid would drive up electricity bills for everyday consumers.
Secrecy and Lack of Transparency:
Hidden Identity: The project was kept quiet for a long time under strict non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).Loss of Trust: Residents felt blindsided and betrayed when county documents were accidentally leaked, revealing that a tech giant like Amazon was behind the operation. This sparked deep distrust regarding corporate influence over local resources.
What Happened Next:
While the developer promised the project would bring $250 million in tax revenue and thousands of temporary construction jobs, the City Council decided the environmental costs were simply not worth it.
Because the city of Tucson blocked the project from its city limits and water system, the developers shifted plans to build an air-cooled version of the data center outside city lines on unincorporated Pima County land. Meanwhile, Tucson leaders began drafting strict new zoning laws to heavily regulate any future data centers trying to build in the area.
AN EXAMPLE OF A CITY INSTALLING A DATA CENTER, WITHOUT ALL OF THE RELEVANT QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
Does installing a standard size data center in the San Antonio Texas area increase the home cost of electricity?
Yes, it generally contributes to upward pressure on residential electricity costs in the San Antonio area, though the exact impact depends on how costs are managed.
Why Data Centers Tend to Increase Costs:
A "standard size" data center (often 10–100+ MW for larger ones; hyperscale can be 100 MW or more, equivalent to the power use of tens of thousands of homes) adds significant constant electricity demand.
Increased overall demand: Texas (ERCOT grid) is seeing massive growth from data centers and AI. They are a major driver of new power demand. Statewide projections show data centers accounting for a large share of demand growth (e.g., nearly half in some forecasts), which strains supply and requires new generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure.
Infrastructure upgrades: Utilities like CPS Energy (San Antonio's municipally owned utility) must invest in new power plants, lines, substations, etc. These capital costs are often recovered through rates charged to all customers, including residential ones.
Wholesale price effects: Higher demand can push up wholesale electricity prices, especially during peaks, which flows through to retail bills in Texas's competitive market.
In San Antonio specifically:
CPS Energy has been preparing for a large surge (e.g., thousands of MW potential from data centers in coming years). They have already implemented rate increases (e.g., 4.25% in 2024) partly tied to growth and infrastructure needs, and further hikes have been discussed.
Large loads (>40 MW) like data centers get specific handling, including studies and potential dedicated rates/tariffs, but grid-wide upgrades still affect everyone.
Counterpoints and Nuances:
Not always a direct 1:1 increase: If data centers pay high demand charges, contribute taxes/revenue, or enable economies of scale (more customers spreading fixed costs), they can sometimes help stabilize or even lower average rates. Some analyses find no clear historical link between data center growth and higher residential prices at the state level.
Broader Texas context: Rates have risen due to multiple factors (inflation, grid needs, etc.), not just data centers.
Bottom line: A single standard data center would add measurable demand in the San Antonio area served by CPS Energy, likely contributing to higher bills over time through infrastructure recovery and market dynamics.
The degree depends on regulatory decisions, how much the data center pays directly, and how quickly new supply (gas, renewables, etc.) comes online. Local officials are actively trying to balance economic benefits (jobs, tax base) with affordability.
AND THEY HAVE NOT EVEN CONSIDERED THE AFFECT OF THE DATA CENTERS TO THE DEGRADING OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT THAT PERTAINS TO CLEAN WATER, DISPOSAL OF USED WATER, AIR CONTAMINATION AND NOISE POLLUTION.
How many standard sizes house use the same amount of electricity compared to one standard size data center?
A standard large data center consumes the same amount of electricity as 15,000 to 100,000 standard residential homes.
while newer "hyperscale" AI data centers can require as much energy as 800,000 to 1,000,000 homes. This massive gap exists because residential homes only use power intermittently, whereas data centers run thousands of power-hungry servers and cooling systems around the clock.
Comparison of Data Center Sizes to Household Energy.
Data Center Class.
Power Demand (Megawatts).
Equivalent Number of Houses Small / Local Facility1 – 5 MW 800 – 4,000 homes.
Standard / Large Data Center 20 – 100 MW16,000 – 82,000 Homes.
What is the size of a data center being proposed to the city of Coachella, in California by a Data Center company, with about 80,000 homes to be affected, along of course with all of the businesses in the overall IMPERIAL IRRIGATION DISTRICT (IID). No one would be spared from increased rates.
The proposed Coachella Valley Technology Campus (also called Coachella Valley Technology Center) spans roughly 240 acres (with some planning documents referencing up to 450 acres for the full two-phase project).
Key Details on Size and Scope:
Land area:
Primarily described as a 240-acre site near Avenue 52 and Fillmore Street on the eastern edge of Coachella. Some sources note the full campus could reach 450 acres.
Buildings:
Initial phase: Three data center buildings, each about 1 million square feet (total ~3 million sq ft across all phases in some descriptions).
Full project: Up to six data center buildings:
Power capacity:
Minimum 270 MW (initially for at least three buildings), with overall plans targeting up to 600 MW.
The developer is Stronghold Power Systems (partnering with DMK Projects), The project aims to support critical digital infrastructure (data centers for tech/internet needs).
Note: As of late May/early June 2026, the Coachella City Council approved a moratorium on data center development amid strong local opposition over water, energy use, noise, and environmental impacts, and terminated the related agreement with the developer. The project has not been approved and faces significant hurdles.
This is based on recent news reports from sources like Business Insider, Data Center Dynamics, local outlets (KESQ, Desert Sun), and public discussions. Details can evolve as the proposal is studied or revised.
Their project is asking 270MW of electricity for one facility and after the project ends, there will be 3.
270 MW of electrical power capacity can support roughly 150,000 to 250,000 average U.S. homes, depending on the exact assumptions (most commonly around 180,000–220,000 homes).
Quick Breakdown:
Power vs. Energy: 270 MW is a power rating (instantaneous capacity). Homes consume energy over time (measured in kWh). Average U.S. household usage (EIA data): ~10,791 kWh per year. ~899 kWh per month. ~30 kWh per day. This equates to an average continuous power draw of about 1.2–1.5 kW per home (10,791 kWh ÷ 8,760 hours in a year ≈ 1.23 kW).
Calculation:
1 MW = 1,000 kW. 270 MW = 270,000 kW. Using ~1.23 kW average per home: 270,000 kW ÷ 1.23 kW/home ≈ 219,500 homes.
Common rules of thumb vary by region and source:
~600–1,000 homes per MW (average/continuous load) → 162,000–270,000 homes for 270 MW. More conservative estimates (e.g., peak demand or ERCOT-style) → closer to 150,000–200,000 homes.
Important Context:
This assumes continuous full output. Real-world power plants (especially solar/wind) have a capacity factor below 100% (they don't run at max all the time due to maintenance, weather, demand fluctuations, etc.).
A baseload plant (e.g., nuclear or coal) gets closer to the higher end.
Peak demand per home can be much higher (e.g., hot summer afternoons with AC), so the same capacity might support fewer homes during peaks.
Numbers are U.S.-centric; usage varies significantly by country, climate, and home size (e.g., much lower in Europe or smaller homes).
In short, 270 MW is enough to power a small-to-medium city or a large suburban area (on the order of 200,000 typical American homes).
HOW DOES A VERY LARGE DATA CENTER AFFECT A COMMUNITY IN WATER USEAGE, ELECTRICAL COSTS AND WATER POLLUTION.
A very large data center significantly impacts its host community by straining local water supplies, driving up household residential electricity bills, and introducing chemical pollutants into the local watershed.
While these facilities provide substantial local property tax revenues, their unprecedented demand for natural resources alters municipal infrastructure and utility pricing.
1. Water Usage: Straining Local Supplies.
A single hyperscale data center can consume 1 million to 5 million gallons of water per day under peak summer conditions. This volume matches the daily water footprint of a town with 10,000 to 50,000 residents.
The Evaporation Problem: Most large facilities use evaporative cooling, where water is intentionally evaporated into the air to cool the machinery. Because this water turns to vapor, up to 80% of it is entirely lost and cannot be treated or recycled back into the local water grid.
Depleting Municipal Aquifers: Over-pumping to support data centers can physically drop the water table, causing nearby residential wells to go dry and decreasing municipal water pressure for homeowners.
Drought Conflicts: Over two-thirds of U.S. data centers built since 2022 sit in highly water-stressed regions like Arizona and Texas, directly competing with agriculture and drinking supplies.
2. Electrical Costs: Driving Up Resident Bills.
Hyperscale data centers operate around the clock, consuming up to 2 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity continuously.
Infrastructure Upgrade Fees: To feed this massive demand, electric utilities must build expensive new power plants, high-voltage transmission lines, and substations. Utilities frequently pass these multi-million dollar construction costs onto everyday consumers by raising residential utility rates.
Market Supply and Demand: Data centers often secure massive, long-term power purchase agreements. By locking up a massive percentage of the local energy supply, they force the remaining pool of consumers to bid on scarcer, more expensive energy.
Peak Load Strains: During extreme winter or summer weather, data center energy spikes can push local power grids to their absolute capacity, increasing the risk of rolling blackouts or emergency surge pricing for residents.
3. Water Pollution: Chemical and Thermal Contamination.
Data centers do not just consume water; the portion they return to the municipal wastewater system or environment is often degraded.
Chemical Anti-Foulants: To stop mold, algae, and bacteria from growing inside massive cooling towers, data centers dose their water with toxic biocides. They also use chemical corrosion inhibitors to protect metal machinery. These chemicals are concentrated in the wastewater discharge.
Heavy Metals and High Salinity: As internal copper and zinc pipe components naturally degrade over time, trace amounts of these heavy metals leach directly into the water discharge. Furthermore, evaporative cooling concentrates natural minerals, creating a highly salty "blowdown" water that damages local soil and aquatic life.
Thermal Pollution: Water discharged from data centers is often significantly warmer than the natural water bodies it enters. Dumping warm water into rivers or streams lowers oxygen levels, causing severe disruptions to local fish and plant populations.
ALL THIS INFORMATION WILL GIVE YOU THE AMMUNITION NEEDED TO HELP DESTROY THE ATTEMPT BY "BIG BUSINESS" TO CONTROL OUR INTERNET SYSTEM. IT DOES NOT BELONG TO THEM, IT BELONGS TO US. AND IN MY OPINION, DATA CENTERS WITH THE PRESENT TECHNOLOGY ARE A SCAM TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS.....AND IT IS PROVEN.....DATA CENTERS INCREASE THE COST OF ELECTICITY RATES, THE COST OF BASIC WATER SUPPLIES AND WILL ALSO BE AFFECTED IN A NEGATIVE MANNER TO OUR LIVING ENVIRONMENT, BY......
SUBJECT: DATA CENTERS FOR "STORING" INTERNET INFORMATION.
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WILL GIVE YOU ALL THE AMMUNITION YOU NEED TO DESTROY THE ATTEMPT BY "BIG BUSINESS" TO CONTROL OUR INTERNET SYSTEM. IT DOES NOT BELONG TO THEM, IT IS OURS. AND IN MY OPINION, IT IS A SCAM TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS GREAT COUNTRY.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS.....AND IT IS PROVEN.....DATA CENTERS WILL:
1. INCREASE THE COST OF ELECTICITY RATES.
2. THE COST OF BASIC WATER SUPPLIES WILL INCREASE. WHILE WATER RESERVES WILL DIMINISH.
3. THE DATA CENTER MACHINES WILL EVAPORATE OVER 80% OF THE WATER USED IN THE DATA CENTER.
4. THE WATER THAT IS LEFT FROM THE "COOLING" MACHINE PROCESS, WILL BE CONTAMINATED AND DISCHARGED INTO OUR ENVIRONMENT.
5. THERE WILL BE AIR CONTAMINATION FROM THE DATA CENTER MACHINES USAGE.
6. THERE WILL BE NOISE CONTAMINATION FROM THE DATA CENTER TO SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO, PLEASE DON'T PRE-JUDGE, READ ALL THE INFORMATION, AND THEN DECIDE FOR YOURSELVES HOW TO HELP THE EFFORT TO DESTROY THE BUILDING OF DATA CENTERS. AND BY THE WAY, I DON'T NEED A DATA CENTER TO STORE MY COMPUTER INFORMATION, OR MY BUSINESS TO HAVE THEM STORE MY INFORMATION. WE DO HAVE OUR OWN BACK-UP SYSTEMS. AND IF I WANT ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR MY BENEFIT, I HAVE MY LOCAL LIBRARY.
ALSO, IT WOULD BE A "GOOD THING" FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE COMMUNITY TO ASK THE COMMUNITY POLITICAL LEADERS, IF ANY HAVE RECEIVED MONETARY DONATIONS FROM THE DATA CENTER DEVELOPERS.
SIGNED....JOSE VIDALES, Resident in the Imperial Irrigation District (IID), California.
to Help prevent data centers from being installed anywhere in america, just get involved and spread the word. Any questions? CONTACT.....
JOSE VIDALES:
TELEPHONE: 760-275-1686
EMAIL: nTDCCV@GMAIL.COM
BELOW ARE 17 EXCELLENT VIDEOS WITH VERY GREAT INFORMATION. WHEN ALL THE INFORMATION IS COMBINED, IT WILL FULLY EXPLAIN WHY THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY DATA CENTERS, UNDER THE PRESENT TECNOLOGY, ALLOWED TO BE BUILT IN AMERICA. PLEASE NOTE.........PLEASE REVIEW THE COMMENTS SECTION OF EACH VIDEO, THEY ARE HIGHLY INFORMATIVE.
And to top it off.......I would bet that most of the DATA CENTERS in operation today, were not approved by the local community before negotiations began between government officials and the "developers" began.
And if an agreement was signed by the community government officials and "DATA CENTER OFFICIALS", to not announce to the citizens of the community that it was to be built regardless of their rights to all information regarding their community, there should be lawsuits filed and government officials fired.
And.....the first question to be asked in the first meeting for this issue with the government officials and "Developers" attending, DID ANY OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS RECEIVE ANY DIRECT OR IN-DIRECT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE DATA CENTER DEVELOPERS.
SO....is there a law which prohibits a binding secret contract for any type project between community government political officials and the developer of a privately owned company that does not publicly notify the citizens of the community involved of their intent.
Yes, there are laws that strictly prohibit government officials from entering into binding, completely secret contracts with private developers without notifying the public.
While a private developer and a government entity may legally sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to protect specific "trade secrets" or highly sensitive proprietary data during early-stage negotiations, a public official cannot use an NDA to bypass the law or permanently hide a final, binding project contract from the citizens.
If a public official attempts to execute a secret, unpublicized project contract, the agreement is generally considered void and legally unenforceable. The primary legal mechanisms that prevent or invalidate these secret deals include:
1. State Open Meetings Laws ("Sunshine Laws") Every U.S. state has Sunshine Laws or Open Meetings Acts. These statutes dictate that any official action, vote, or final decision made by a local government body (such as a city council or county commission) must take place in a public forum.
The Violation: If officials vote on or sign a final project contract behind closed doors without providing the public with proper advance notice and a designated comment period, they are violating the law.
The Penalty: A court will usually nullify the agreement, declaring it void from the beginning because the proper legal procedure was not followed.
2. Public Records Acts and FOIA
The federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state-level public records equivalents (like California’s Public Records Act or Florida's Chapter 119) mandate that any contract a government entity enters into becomes a matter of public record.
Private Contracts vs. Public Law: A government official cannot override a state transparency law simply by signing a private contract clause. Legally, public transparency statutes strictly override private non-disclosure agreements.
Anyone in the community can file a formal public records request to force the government to hand over the contract. While the private company may redact actual trade secrets (like proprietary engineering blueprints), the overall financial terms, scope, and intent of the project cannot be legally hidden.
3. Public Procurement and Bidding Laws
Most city charters and state laws require public projects or Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) exceeding a certain monetary threshold to go through a formal, open bidding process. These laws mandate public notice, requests for proposals (RFPs), and a transparent evaluation process.
Attempting to hand a binding project to a private developer in secret circumvents competitive bidding laws, which gives competing developers or taxpayers grounds to sue and have the contract immediately thrown out by a judge.
4. Due Process and Land Use/Zoning Laws If the project involves real estate development, construction, or land use, local zoning ordinances and state laws mandate public hearings. Local governments cannot legally alter zoning laws, grant building permits for major projects, or eminent domain land in secret. Doing so violates the constitutional "due process" rights of the surrounding property owners and community members.
Summary of Consequences
If community officials and a private developer enter into a secret, unnotified project contract:
The Contract is Void: The private developer has no legal recourse because the officials lacked the "actual authority" to bind the government in secret.
Official Misconduct: The political officials can face civil lawsuits, removal from office, or even criminal charges for official misconduct and violating public trust.
Voided by Public Policy: Under standard contract law, any agreement that directly violates public policy or statutory transparency requirements is automatically unenforceable in a court of law.
SO, THE QUESTION IS, CAN A COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND THAT ONE PLUS ONE EQUALS TWO?