Data Centers

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Data Centers Report Now Available

The Report Back on the Potential Impacts Associated with Large Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Centers is now available. The report identifies potential impacts of large-scale data centers and explores potential options to address these impacts. The options discussed in the report include changes to land use policy, legislative advocacy, and workforce development programs. The County Board of Supervisors may consider these options and/or others not identified in the report.

View the Data Centers Report

Project Background

The goal of this report was to study how data centers may affect people, communities, and local resources and consider whether the County should create new rules to regulate data centers.

As directed by the Board, we looked at possible impacts and explored ways to reduce them, such as:

Standards for locating and developing future data centers
Measures to address electricity and water use by data centers

Our findings were summarized in a report for the Board for their information only. If the Board decides to take further action after reading the report, a separate public hearing would be required. 

The report incorporates input from local partners and interested stakeholders to ensure the options to address potential impacts reflect community needs.  

Timeline

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January 2026: Project Initiation
The Board directed a report on the potential impacts of data centers and options to reduce these impacts.
February-June 2026: Research and Report Development
Staff conducted research and met with stakeholders to draft the report.
July 2026: Complete Report
Staff sent the Board of Supervisors a memo summarizing the report. If the Board of Supervisors takes any further action on data centers, a public hearing would be required.