A California lawmaker is calling on the Imperial County Board of Supervisors to halt a controversial data center project until they answer “critical questions."
In sharply-worded statements last week, State Sen. Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) said the development, specifically the county’s planning process, had been “shrouded in secrecy.” He said county officials had yet to reply directly to his December letter seeking more information about their planning process and the data center’s water and energy needs.
“I've worked in land use and the public space for decades,” said Padilla, whose district includes Imperial County, in an interview with KPBS on Friday.
“I can tell you that this is very odd, and this is not how you do business,” he added, referring to the county’s response.
In a blunt reply to Padilla, the Board of Supervisors said county staffers had met with Padilla’s office in December and given detailed answers about the county’s development process.
“The County has made repeated and good faith efforts to meet, provide information, and engage constructively,” read the letter signed by the county’s five supervisors last week. “We remain committed to transparency and collaboration.”
Imperial County spokesperson Eddie Lopez and Supervisor Peggy Price, whose district includes the proposed data center, did not respond to KPBS’ interview requests Friday.
Padilla’s remarks come as the proposed one-million-square-foot computing warehouse faces mounting public scrutiny from Imperial County residents and environmental advocates over its potential resource needs and the speed at which the project is moving forward. It’s among many data centers being proposed nationwide amid the AI boom.
Last month, KPBS reported the developers behind the data center are openly trying to avoid going through an in-depth analysis of the project’s environmental impacts. They aimed to design a ministerial project — a planning term that essentially means local officials have no option to deny it as long as the technical requirements are met. Under state law, ministerial projects are typically exempt from environmental reviews. That’s despite the fact that the project could need immense amounts of energy and water.
Sebastian Rucci, one of the developers, previously told KPBS they would take steps to reduce the project’s environmental footprint. Rucci said they would use renewable energy, buy recycled municipal water from nearby cities and cover the cost of necessary infrastructure upgrades.
But local officials in El Centro and Imperial said, while they had discussed supplying water, they had not reached any formal agreements.
The data center project is also facing an ongoing legal battle.
The City of Imperial, which sits next to the planned construction site, is suing in Imperial County Superior Court to force an environmental analysis of the project. Rucci has filed his own lawsuit against the city in federal court, alleging they’ve engaged in “a coordinated campaign to sabotage the data center.”
Wednesday’s letter from Imperial County supervisors did offer some new information on how county officials are thinking about the project.
In it, county supervisors said they have not given the developers any incentives or tax exemptions — and have not yet issued any permits for the project.
According to the letter, county staffers told Padilla’s office they expected the data center would use reclaimed water or alternative cooling technologies, “rather than reliance on water supplied by [the Imperial Irrigation District].” The letter also said county staffers had discussed the principle that the developers would fund any necessary new infrastructure rather than existing residents.
“The County further clarified that if adequate power or water are not available, the facility would not be permitted to operate,” the letter read.
In a second statement Thursday following the county’s letter, Padilla said they had still not answered his initial questions.
On Friday, the lawmaker told KPBS he was confused and frustrated by the tenor of the conversation surrounding the data center. He said it was different from his communication with other county governments and agencies.
“This is a little bit crazy,” Padilla said. “This is not how you build community support.”
