As data centers are on the rise, the Central Valley is facing several proposals, including the two for Inyokern and Taft, along with two centers being proposed in Kings and Tulare Counties. Communities and organizations across the valley are speaking out against the centers because of the impact they can have on the environment.
Rosani Paniagua, membership program manager with Loud for Tomorrow, stated that they are trying to encourage community members to keep taking action and to keep tabs on the proposals popping up. She stated companies are trying to rush through proposals in an attempt to bypass community input and say what they need to get it approved, but the community is paying attention.
“They want to rush through proposals and get things approved with minimal community engagement,” she stated. “I’m really glad that there are folks; we’re not the only ones that are keeping tabs on what’s happening. I’ve learned that there’s a lot of Facebook groups, just organic little networks that are telling their neighbors about what they’re seeing, you know, on these agenda items and in board meetings.”
One reason Paniagua gave for not wanting the data centers is that the Valley is already facing environmental issues without the added stressor of more data centers. She explained that she is thankful people are already speaking out because they’ve seen the impacts data centers have had on other areas.
“We all know that in the Valley we already have enough industry residue. You know, our water, our air, our soil is contaminated, and these companies do not clean up those problems that we have, you know, to deal with. Unfortunately, it’s the people, it’s communities that have to clean up the mess they leave,” said Paniagua. “Climate change is telling us we have to think differently. And not having data centers near communities or anywhere where there’s, you know, scarce natural resources, like, that should just be a huge red flag.
She continued to state that it is disheartening the way the Valley is treated as a dump, but she is not surprised.
“Being a resident, a longtime resident of Central Valley, we’re tired of that, and luckily, right now, nationwide data centers are getting a lot of attention because of what communities where they’re already at are seeing, and folks are speaking up, like, hey, we can’t do this,” said Paniagua. “So yeah, it’s disappointing, but not surprising at all that they want to put this in our communities because the Central Valley has been one of those places where they just treat it like a dirty swamp. And they’re like, might as well keep treating it like a dirty swamp, and we can’t do that anymore.”
Paniagua stated people should care about the possible impacts of the data centers even if one is not proposed in their city because the center will still use their county resources.
“I mean, it’s still your county. There are still resources in your county that are going to be used for these systems. And I would also say there’s a lot of wildlife in our communities, in rural communities,” said Paniagua. “If you don’t want to think about the natural resources or water, think about those wildlife, those animals that are out there,” she stated.
Ultimately, she stated that even if the data center may not change your day-to-day life, it will likely impact someone you know.
“In rural communities, there are still homes, there’s farms, there’s ranches, and people are speaking up about the loud noise, how you hear the vibrations in your home. So, yeah, maybe it won’t be right by your door, but someone in your community will get affected long-term-wise,” said Paniagua.
She continued to say she wants more people to be against the industries that use the Central Valley for their own gain.
“And I would say also, like, I wish more people could be tired of these industries just coming in and taking what they need and just leaving. Because most of these data centers, they don’t have huge parking lots for workers. There’s minimal job, like, long-term jobs that are being offered for these industries. So, in the long term, they’re not going to bring a lot of benefit to our community, our scarce resources. So, at the end of the day, I feel they are still going to have an impact in urban communities.”
When looking at the proposals, Paniagua stated it is important for community members to be critical of what the companies are saying and to hold local elected officials accountable. She explained that the proposals are lackluster and that, instead of accepting them in hopes of more job opportunities, the community can demand them from elected officials.
The proposals from Global Stack, according to Paniagua, are also very vague; if the Tulare County proposal is accepted, it will be at the fairgrounds and will be part of a statewide project to be able to store their data at various fairgrounds.
“They want to pretty much be at every fairground across California, and they also are saying that these data centers are not data centers. They’re saying that they’re edge-computing systems, which is still data storage, but it’s essentially a corporate storage, not our community’s data storage, but theirs,” said Paniagua. “They’re also saying they’re claiming that it’s a closed-loop type of system where it’s going to be low water usage, low energy, but there hasn’t been any concrete numbers around how much water and energy they’re going to be using.”
Outside of attending community meetings, Loud for Tomorrow hosts public workshops and connects with community members to assist them in preparing to give public comment. To community members who may still be hesitant about speaking up or wondering if it can make change, Paniagua stated there are some cities in California that are banning or advocating to ban data centers. According to a CalMatters article, Monterey City in Los Angeles County voted to permanently ban data centers and was the first city in the United States to do so.
To elected officials, Paniagua asked them to think about their community and the future when making these decisions.
“They need to listen to us. They need to think about their future, about their children, about their grandkids, because we’re already facing an extinction of many animals. We are not at a place where we should continue to say yes to these industries without clear promises, clear facts. So I would say, think about the future. Please put your personal benefits aside and think about the bigger picture,” said Paniagua.
