As San José officials rolled out new proposed data center development standards, moving one step closer to enshrining them, residents and environmental advocates staged rallies and packed City Hall demanding an outright moratorium on the power-hungry facilities.
During a community meeting on Thursday night, high-ranking city staff members proffered new rules and requirements for future data centers such as requiring recycled water use, aesthetic design enhancements, sound dampeners, limits on backup generator runtime for testing and maintenance, and developer fees for affordable housing.
While the city garnered commendations for its proposals from business groups and union laborers who build data centers, community groups and residents from around San José called for a pause on all data center approvals and applications, saying the standards don’t do enough to protect people from risks of air and water pollution, increased local temperatures and constant noise…