Data Center Ban Debate Moves Forward In Brentwood, NorCal

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, CA —Brentwood has become the latest California city to pump the brakes on data center development, as elected officials seek a possible citywide ban amid growing concerns over land use, water supplies, energy demands, and whether the projects deliver enough local jobs to justify their footprint.

Brentwood officials are preparing to consider an ordinance that would prohibit the establishment, construction, expansion, or operation of new data center facilities within city limits.

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Councilmembers Faye Maloney and Jovita Mendoza have jointly requested that the proposal be placed on a future City Council agenda, where members would decide whether to direct staff to draft a permanent prohibition.

Maloney said data centers may not represent the best use of Brentwood's limited industrial land, particularly for a city with deep agricultural roots. She also cited concerns about potential demands on water and electricity, as well as possible health and environmental impacts, the Mercury News reported.

"This is why I'm asking for this item. We need to hear from our residents, businesses, and our community before the council considers any final action," Maloney said, according to the Mercury News.

She added that recent public feedback has shown widespread concern and that the city should be proactive rather than reactive.

Maloney said the proposal could return for discussion as early as July. If the City Council supports moving forward, staff would begin preparing an ordinance that could permanently ban new data centers in Brentwood, according to reports.

Mendoza said many questions remain unanswered. "I have a fear of this being a data center bubble," Mendoza said, according to the Mercury News. She questioned whether communities could be left with costly infrastructure if demand eventually declines and argued that industrial land should prioritize businesses that create more employment opportunities for local residents.

Brentwood's proposal comes as cities across East Contra Costa County, and Northern California more widely, wrestle with how to regulate one of artificial intelligence's fastest-growing industries.

Nearby Oakley has already adopted a temporary urgency moratorium on new data centers while officials study long-term regulations, with the pause currently scheduled to remain in effect through April 2027.

Pittsburg continues to face organized resident opposition over a data center approved in 2024 at Pittsburg Technology Park along West Leland Road, the former Delta View Golf Course site.

Some residents said they only recently learned the scale of the project and its potential impacts. Antioch has not adopted a formal position on future data center development.

The debate has also spread beyond Contra Costa County.

In Napa County, nearly 100 residents packed a standing-room-only Fairgrounds Advisory Committee meeting in Calistoga after a group unveiled a proposal to turn the city's historic fairgrounds into a data center complex.

Audience members hissed as the presentation turned to the proposed data center, while speakers repeatedly described the concept as "grotesque," "monstrous," and a "nightmare." Many argued that such a project would fundamentally change the character of the small community.

The organization, Global Stack, pitched the project as a public-private partnership that would invest more than $6 billion in data infrastructure. But residents questioned whether the promised economic benefits justified the project's scale.

Speakers warned that a large data center could strain Calistoga's limited water supply, increase electricity demand, generate additional noise and pollution, and permanently alter the town's small-town character. Others urged city leaders to complete a long-term master plan for the fairgrounds before considering any major redevelopment proposals.

Global Stack President Nicholas Kovacevich said the company is pursuing similar concepts at more than 70 California fairgrounds.

Together, Brentwood, Oakley, Pittsburg, and Calistoga illustrate a widening debate across Northern California as communities weigh the economic promises of data centers against concerns over water, electricity, land use, environmental impacts, and the long-term future of their cities.