Coachella City Council Weighs Permanent Data Center Ban

The Coachella City Council is considering taking another step toward permanently banning data centers within city limits.

The council is conducting the first reading of an ordinance that would prohibit data centers citywide and is also taking its first vote on the measure. The proposal comes after the council extended a temporary 45-day moratorium on data center projects to 10 months.

For months, hundreds of residents have attended City Council meetings and rallied outside City Hall, calling for a permanent ban on data centers.

Under the proposed ordinance, a data center would generally be defined as a structure or site used to store, manage, process or transmit digital data and house computers or network equipment associated with digital data storage.

The proposal includes exemptions for accessory server rooms, data processing equipment and information technology facilities that are directly related to a permitted primary use.

Those exemptions are drawing particular attention from residents who want to ensure the language cannot be used to circumvent the proposed ban.

Coachella Mayor Dr. Frank Figueroa said he has heard concerns from community members who want to make sure future data center projects cannot simply find a way around the ordinance.

Some residents are also asking whether the city can protect itself from potential data center projects proposed by state or federal entities.

The expected turnout for the meeting has also prompted community groups to organize a watch party at the Coachella City Library across from City Hall. The gathering is intended to give residents another place to follow the meeting and voice their concerns while avoiding the extreme heat.

The City Council is also expected to consider whether an approved data center ban could eventually be placed on the ballot as an additional layer of protection. That discussion, however, is expected to be tabled until a future meeting.

NBC Palm Springs will continue to follow the City Council's decision and the community response to the proposed ordinance.

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