Getting your
Trinity Audioplayer ready...A ballot measure amending the Monterey Park general plan to prohibit data centers citywide showed overwhelming support in early voting returns Tuesday night, June 2, marking an apparent big victory for its supporters who were on the cusp of the state’s first data center ban.
As of the latest results posted at 10:50 p.m., yes on Measure NDC had 86.8% of the vote.
Monterey Park Councilmember Thomas Wong said Tuesday’s night early returns provided a clear answer from the community about the controversial resource guzzlers.
“The sentiment is very overwhelming that we do not want data centers in Monterey Park,” Wong said.
He said he was proud of the community and the work done in recent months ahead of election day. Wong said it was pretty clear that this would be the result, and was not surprised by the large margin of support the ban had so far.
“Measure NDC’s landslide victory is a reflection of their people powered campaign to stop data centers in Monterey Park,” said state Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, D-Pasadena. “AI tech corporations have rapidly expanded data centers across the country leading to increased electricity rates for consumers and environmental pollution. We must stop the madness.
Perez said Monterey Park voters spoke with a “moral clarity” that will serve as a model for other communities “who refuse to let corporations ruin the neighborhoods they care so much about.”
In March, Monterey Park City Council approved the June ballot measure that would ban data centers citywide. It came in response to a proposed 1977 Saturn Drive data center project from developer HMC StratCap.
Community members along with environmental protection groups pushed back against the proposed project. More than 20 groups, including the Food & Water Watch, wrote a letter to the City Council in March urging it to reject the HMC project.
“The expansion of data centers poses major environmental and economic threats due to rapidly increasing demand for energy, driving more fossil fuel pollution, straining water resources and raising electricity prices,” the letter read.
HMC StratCap eventually withdrew its data center project application. According to Food & Water Watch, in 2023 data centers in California consumed 95% more electricity than in 2019 and 13 billion gallons of water.
If approved, the measure would be the first instance of a California city instituting a data center ban. The measure needs a majority of votes to be approved. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Staff writer Anissa Rivera contributed to this report.