County Cracks Down on AI Data Centers as Regional Opposition Grows

LOS ANGELES - New large-scale AI data centers are now off-limits in unincorporated Los Angeles County.

Planning Director Amy Bodek issued an immediate prohibition Thursday, directing county staff to halt development of the facilities while officials move to add a permanent ban to the zoning code. The county's current rules do not specifically regulate data centers used for AI-related storage, processing, and generation.

The move follows months of pressure from residents as cities across Los Angeles County confront their own data-center fights.

"I introduced it in response to concerns raised by San Gabriel Valley residents who were understandably concerned about the effects of data centers in their communities, concerns that have since been reflected nationwide," Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda Solis said.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the motion, directing county departments to study potential health, environmental, and safety effects on nearby communities, including impacts on electrical and water resources.

The motion also directed county departments to study zoning changes, environmental review, and protections for residents living near the facilities.

"As a necessary next step to address these concerns, the county's report back on that motion identified zoning changes that would prohibit these facilities. The need for such a ban has only been further underscored by alarming developments from the AI sector on catastrophic impacts the technology may have on humanity," Solis added.

Solis said she plans to bring further recommendations from the Departments of Regional Planning and Public Health to the board. She thanked county departments, residents and other stakeholders who raised concerns about data centers, saying she remains committed to ensuring technological growth does not come at the expense of public health, environmental protections or residents' quality of life.

Bodek's directive will block the facilities in unincorporated areas while that work moves forward.

The county order does not apply to incorporated cities, where local governments control zoning. In El Segundo, a proposal to convert the Hyatt Place hotel into a five-story AI data center was withdrawn after residents packed a Planning Commission meeting and submitted hundreds of pages of public comment.

The proposal would have required 49.5 megawatts of electricity, 5,423 gallons of water a day, and 16 diesel backup generators. More than 100 people crowded into the meeting, with attendees spilling into the hallway and more than 700 pages of public comment submitted before the developer withdrew the application, as Westside Current reported.

The San Gabriel Valley has seen similar fights.

In January, Monterey Park residents attended a community meeting hosted by San Gabriel Valley Progressive Action, which describes itself as a "grassroots, community-driven organization focused on environmental justice, transparency, and equitable development in the San Gabriel Valley." The organization says it is not affiliated with a political party.

Residents and the group criticized SDCF Monterey Park, LLC's plan to demolish vacant commercial buildings at 1977 Saturn St. and build a 218,400-square-foot, single-story data center on 15.8 acres. LA Public Press previously reported on the project, which was introduced in 2024. Residents raised concerns about potential air, land, and water pollution.

The Monterey Park City Council imposed a 45-day moratorium, then extended it while staff developed planning and zoning rules. Voters approved Measure NDC in June, prohibiting all data centers unless a future vote repeals the restriction. The measure was the first of its kind in California.

The City Council of neighboring Industry unanimously approved a zoning change in February allowing construction of a battery-storage site. The action sparked criticism from city residents and people living nearby in La Puente, Rowland Heights, Avocado Heights, Hacienda Heights and South San Jose Hills. Opponents feared it could clear a path for a data center at the mostly vacant Puente Hills Mall.

The No Data Centers SGV coalition opposed the project. Its members include San Gabriel Valley Progressive Action, Avocado Heights Vaquer@s, Puente Hills Community Preservation Society, SGVoices, Party for Socialism and Liberation, and No Data Center Monterey Park.

El Monte and Baldwin Park later voted to establish yearlong bans on proposed data centers within their city limits.

Data centers are not new, but their construction has increased in recent years.

The Data Center Coalition, which describes itself as "the trade association for the data center industry with members that own data centers operate and maintain data center infrastructure both nationally and globally," reported that data centers supported more than 665,000 California jobs in 2024 and generated $14.1 billion in state and local taxes. California has at least 287 data centers.

Amazon and Alphabet are expected to spend a combined $700 billion on data centers globally by the end of the year, according to The New York Times.

Editor's Note: This story includes reporting from City News Service, a content partner of Westside Current.