San jose Data Centers
Background
San Jose is experiencing an influx of data center proposals. In early August, two new data center projects were announced in, one of them directly adjacent to Coyote Creek.
California has 297 data centers and counting. 116 of them are already in the area - 47 in San Jose and 69 in Santa Clara.
In response to community inquires on the impact of data centers on the environment and community, the San Jose City Council directed city staff in May to establish a set of “uniform standards and best practices” for data center projects. The City plans to establish the new data center standards by December of 2026 on all things related to energy consumption, water usage and water quality, air quality, noise, heat island effects and other impacts.
Time is limited to fully educated on the impact of data centers and provide community input. We only have three more months!
Conceptual rendering of the North San Jose data center complex at the corner of North First Street and Liberty Street in the Alviso district
In the below letter, SVYCA and other organizations ask the Rules Committee to recommend that the San Jose City Council direct the City Manager to put a pause on accepting and processing data center applications until the uniform standards and best practices are approved. The letter requests that the city:
Establish a minimum content requirement that standards include quantitative thresholds for energy use, water consumption, emissions, noise, and
backup generation.
Publish a public dashboard of all existing, approved, proposed, and pipeline data center (or similar) projects in San José that includes, for each project: location, ownership, estimated megawatt (MW) demand, amount and type of water used or expected to be used, backup generation capacity fuel type (batteries, natural gas, diesel, etc.), actual General Fund revenue to date, and permanent jobs created by operating facilities. This dashboard should be live before any new development agreements are executed.
Suspend execution of new data center development agreements until draft standards have been released for public comment to ensure new commitments reflect the standards the Memo itself says are needed.
Conduct a cumulative environmental analysis of all existing and planned projects before individual approvals proceed, so that aggregate energy demand, water use, and emissions impacts are assessed as a whole, in addition to project by project analysis.
Ensure that the stakeholder process for developing standards includes structured, equitable, and accessible participation of local communities, including a diverse range of stakeholders such as neighborhood associations, CBOs, environmental groups, and independent technical experts in areas where data centers are currently sited or proposed.
Prohibit City staff, Councilmembers and the Mayor from signing nondisclosure agreements with data center developers.
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