Sacramento, California – Sacramento is debating rules for a type of development that does not yet exist inside city limits. For Councilmember Lisa Kaplan, that is exactly why the conversation needs to happen now, before a massive power user reaches the planning counter.
The issue became personal in North Natomas, where Kaplan said residents complained about noise from a data center operating on nearby Sacramento County land. Now she is calling for a temporary halt on city approvals while Sacramento creates standards covering energy, environmental impacts, noise and other neighborhood concerns.
Kaplan said she and Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes are working on a policy request that would establish rules for reviewing future data center proposals and impose a moratorium until those standards are adopted. She has also said she would support banning very large facilities while seeking more guidance from city staff on smaller projects.
The push comes as data centers consume a rapidly growing share of the nation’s electricity. A U.S. Department of Energy-backed report found they accounted for about 4.4% of U.S. electricity use in 2023, up from 1.9% in 2018. The report projected that share could reach 6.7% to 12% by 2028 as artificial intelligence and other computing demands expand.
Kaplan has also raised concerns about pollution tied to the power needed for the facilities, saying emissions can “present a significant risk to public health” and complicate local climate goals.
Mayor Kevin McCarty has stopped short of supporting a moratorium. Instead, he asked city staff to examine safeguards involving energy, water, infrastructure and neighborhoods, saying, “I want Sacramento to be prepared if and when a project comes our way.” Sacramento currently has no data center applications, and its zoning code does not specifically allow the use without a future amendment and public process.
The discussion gained urgency after Abridged by PBS KVIE reported that Link Logistics, a Blackstone subsidiary, has been talking with SMUD about a potential data center exceeding 50 megawatts. Records point to property at Depot Park in southeastern Sacramento. No formal application has been filed, but a facility of that size would be the largest data center in the four-county Sacramento region.
SMUD has been handling several large-load inquiries, while Councilmember Eric Guerra, whose district includes the potential site, has said he opposes allowing data centers while major questions about water and air impacts remain unresolved.
Sacramento is not alone. At least 15 California cities have recently proposed or adopted moratoriums, while state lawmakers have advanced legislation requiring greater disclosure of data center water use. Assembly Bill 2619 was presented to Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 4.
For now, Sacramento has no project to approve or reject. Kaplan’s argument is that this quiet period is the city’s opportunity to decide what its rules should be before the first major proposal arrives.