16 Apr ‘We Don’t Have to Be the Germ in the Petri Dish’: Oakley Temporarily Bans AI Data Centers

“I don’t want data centers to come in,” said Oakley City Council member Shannon Shaw, right. The council unanimously approved a temporary ban Tuesday. (Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

The city of Oakley is banning artificial intelligence data centers for at least the next 45 days because of environmental concerns.

City Council members unanimously approved a moratorium Tuesday on any approval of data centers, with the possibility of extensions that could last up to two years.

The urgency ordinance comes about a month after residents successfully pushed for the removal of a potential data center from the Bridgehead Industrial Project, which the developer said was not sure to be built but was possible before dropping the use from its application.

City staff wrote in their report that they could use the time as “breathing room” to determine when data centers might be acceptable in projects.

“I want this as strong as possible. I don’t want data centers to come in,” said council member Shannon Shaw about a permanent ordinance that would ban data centers.

City Attorney Derek Cole said Tuesday that a longer, temporary moratorium, such as a two-year ban, was not legally allowable.

A majority of council members said at the March 10 meeting that they would not be comfortable approving the Bridgehead project with the possibility of a data center because of community pushback and concerns that a data center would affect water and energy sources in the area.

Environmental concerns were the biggest problems residents mentioned after hours of testimony at previous meetings. Data centers, which are used to support the functions of AI, have been shown to consume large amounts of energy and water, and contribute to air pollution, according to research.

Resident Bud Chaddock likened the struggle between Oakley and companies wanting to build data centers to “going to a gunfight with a knife” but said they still had a choice.

“All these people propose this stuff — yes, it may be the future. But we don’t have to be the germ in the petri dish,” said Chaddock.

One resident said ahead of the meeting that they would be in support of a full ban on data centers due to the potential impacts, calling them “disastrous.”

But Tuesday’s turnout was much smaller than previous meetings about the Bridgehead project, drawing only three public speakers and a couple who submitted comments online.

Sue Ellen Moseley questioned whether residents had been notified of the topic ahead of the meeting but thanked council members for considering the ordinance “because Oakley’s special, and we need to take care of it.”

Council members are expected to consider extending the moratorium at their first meeting next month.