San Jose is considering a wave of AI data center developments. Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter is advocating for a moratorium on AI data centers in order to protect habitat, wildlife, and local communities.
AI data centers are an enormous threat to our communities and environment. Meanwhile, San Jose’s current approach to AI data center development is inadequate and has kept the public in the dark. Even after repeated demands for transparency, the details of the vast majority of San Jose’s 34 data center projects in their “development pipeline” have not been disclosed to the public. Meanwhile, City staff continue to work on these projects behind the scenes with AI data center developers.
At a recent San Jose City Council meeting, together with numerous residents, we have advocated against the rezoning of a former IBM property, which would allow for it to be used for AI data centers. Despite the public outcry, San Jose City Council ultimately voted to move forward with the rezoning.
Your Chapter staff has attended protests, spoken to the press, and collaborated with community and environmental groups to empower San Jose residents to protect our air, water, and nature. Together we are fighting for a process that puts communities, transparency, and strong environmental protections at the center of AI data center development decisions. The best way to protect our communities from the impacts of AI data centers is to not build them in the first place!
The future of Silicon Valley should not be decided without the people and communities who will live with its impacts.
Read the Mercury News article to learn more about the proposal and the growing debate over AI data center development in San José.