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Monterey Park to consider pause on controversial data center proposal
Residents in Monterey Park are concerned about the environmental impact of data centers like one proposed in the city.
(
Megan Farmer
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KUOW
)
Topline:
Monterey Park city leaders on Wednesday night will consider a temporary halt on a massive data center project after residents raised concerns about its potential effects on the environment and community.
The project: The data center proposed by SDCF Monterey Park, LLC, would be 247,480 square feet — larger than the size of four football fields.
Residents' concerns: The project has been under discussion since 2024, but residents say they've only heard about it in recent months. They worry that the facility could significantly increase local electricity and water use, along with noise and air pollution from industrial equipment.
What would the moratorium do: It would pause the project for at least 45 days — and up to two years — and give the city time to reconsider how data centers should be regulated.
Go deeper: Data centers are putting new strain on California’s grid. A new report estimates the effects
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