During the July 15 city council meeting, the Ridgecrest City Council directed staff to move forward with filing a petition for intervener status in the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) review of the proposed Inyokern Data Center project. City officials say this move would give Ridgecrest access to technical studies and a formal role in the approval process without signaling support or opposition to the project.
According to Travis Reed, Ridgecrest City Manager, this petition will put the City in a position to participate in hearings, review environmental documents, and submit comments related to potential impacts on groundwater, electrical infrastructure, housing, economic development, and public infrastructure.
“This is not taking a position,” said Reed during the discussion. “This is simply getting you at the table so that way you can be party to testimony, you can see communications, and you have more information than what is readily published.”
Additionally, city staff said becoming an intervener would allow Ridgecrest to participate in workshops, hearings, evidentiary proceedings, and environmental review processes as the project advances through the state’s approval system.
“What this does not do is constitute an approval of the project, constitute opposition of the project, or commit the city to supporting or contesting the project,” Reed said. “This simply gives us a seat at the table.”
During their discussion, city council members asked whether the city would receive regular updates on the proceedings and questioned if participation would involve non-disclosure agreements related to confidential utility information.
City Attorney Martin Koczanowicz said any decision to enter into a non-disclosure agreement would ultimately rest with the council and would not affect the city’s intervener status. He added that if the city did agree to confidentiality provisions, council members would review those materials in closed session rather than during public meetings.
Councilmember Solomon Rajaratnam expressed support for the effort, arguing that even though the project falls outside city limits, its impacts would likely be felt throughout the region.
“I hope we can get as much transparency to this process as possible because it may not be in our jurisdiction, but it is darn sure going to affect us,” Rajaratnam said. “The way I look at this process is this is our way of building up to, if we do choose to oppose, this is our way of building up to that process.”
He added that the city should continue gathering information as the review moves forward.
Public comment focused largely on transparency and concerns about the project’s potential impacts.
Resident Kelly Kutz questioned why the city had not yet submitted its request for intervener status after discussing the matter for several months.
City officials responded that the petition would be finalized and submitted within days if the council approved moving forward.
Another resident, who identified himself as Noah during public comment, said his concerns extended beyond groundwater usage and included possible impacts to military operations at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.
Noah also raised concerns about the project’s anticipated electricity demand and possible air quality impacts near Inyokern Airport.
Additionally, residents asked if the city would meet upcoming CEC deadlines for public comments. Reed said the commission had requested additional information from project applicants and that the city’s petition would remain timely because the application had not yet been deemed complete.
The council ultimately reached consensus directing staff to file the petition for intervener status as soon as possible.
