California Data Center Plans Prompt Bipartisan Rural Opposition

Grassroots opposition to the expansion of hyperscale data centers has brought together voters and lawmakers from both parties across California and the United States. Protesters argue that the proposed facilities threaten water supplies and environmental resources, creating a rare moment of bipartisan unity.

A 2024 study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimates that U.S. data centers could consume about 1 % of the nation’s water supply by 2028, roughly 2.9 million acre‑feet annually. In California’s Imperial Valley, a developer’s plan for a hyperscale facility would use about 275 million gallons of water per year (≈856 acre‑feet), a tiny share of the district’s 3.1 million acre‑feet Colorado River allocation but still a point of contention in local resource policy debates.

Opponents compare the water demand of data centers to the far larger agricultural use in the desert, urging policymakers to prioritize water for essential needs over server farms. The controversy highlights growing tensions over artificial‑intelligence infrastructure and its environmental impact.