California Community Rallies Against Datacenter Project, Secures Victory
In a stunning display of grassroots organizing, a small group of residents in Monterey Park, California, successfully thwarted the construction of a massive datacenter project that would have brought significant economic and environmental burdens to the city. The five residents who first spoke out against the proposal have been hailed as heroes by their community, and their victory has sent shockwaves across the nation.
The story began last December when the Monterey Park City Council proposed building a giant datacenter on land zoned for industrial use. The project would have been one of the largest in the country, covering an area equivalent to four football fields. However, five residents quickly sprang into action, using social media and word-of-mouth to raise awareness about the potential dangers of the facility.
No Data Center Monterey Park, a grassroots group formed by the five residents, worked tirelessly with local organizations such as San Gabriel Valley Progressive Action to build a campaign against the datacenter. They emphasized the potential environmental impacts, including increased energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the strain on the city's power grid and water supply.
The group also highlighted the noise pollution that would result from the facility's diesel generators, which would produce ambient air pollutants linked to respiratory illnesses. The campaign was notable for its inclusive approach, with materials distributed in English, Chinese, and Spanish to reach Monterey Park's diverse population.
As the campaign gained momentum, hundreds of residents turned out to a teach-in and rally, knocking on doors and distributing flyers to raise awareness about the issue. A petition quickly accumulated nearly 5,000 signatures, further demonstrating the community's opposition to the project.
In just six weeks, the community achieved a remarkable victory when the City Council issued a 45-day moratorium on datacenter construction and pledged to explore a permanent ban. For Steven Kung, co-founder of No Data Center Monterey Park, the outcome was a testament to the power of grassroots organizing.
"It's like the third act of an Oscar-winning movie," Kung said in an interview. "We never thought we'd be able to stop this project, but our community came together and made it happen."
The victory has sent ripples across the nation, with similar datacenter projects facing opposition in other states. Research by Data Center Watch, a group that tracks opposition to datacenters, found that over 50 active groups across 17 states have targeted 30 projects since 2023, resulting in at least two-thirds of them being halted.
The movement against datacenters has also brought together unlikely allies, including nimbys and environmentalists in Virginia, "Stop the Steal" activists and Democratic Socialists of America organizers in Michigan. The widespread opposition to datacenters reflects a growing concern about the impact of big tech on local communities and the environment.
As Miquel Vila, lead analyst at Data Center Watch, noted, "There's no safe space for datacenters." Local fights against AI infrastructure have even begun to influence state and federal policy, with some lawmakers backing calls for a datacenter moratorium or regulation.
In Indiana, where local communities are fighting 50 datacenter projects and halting at least a dozen in the past year, organizers say that bipartisan opposition is becoming increasingly powerful. "It's like a revolt in the heartland," said Bryce Gustafson, who organizes with the Citizens Action Coalition.
The fight against datacenters has also resonated with conservative voters, many of whom are concerned about land privatization and tech overreach. In Virginia, where more than 600 datacenters already exist, the newly elected governor campaigned on lowering utility bills by ensuring that AI companies pay their fair share of electricity costs.
As Andrew Yip, a community organizer with SGV Progressive Action, said, "This is about community members rising to the occasion to look out for one another." For No Data Center Monterey Park, the victory is just the beginning – the group plans to continue engaging new neighbors, gathering signatures, and showing up at council meetings to ensure that the proposed facility is never built.
In a stunning display of grassroots organizing, a small group of residents in Monterey Park, California, successfully thwarted the construction of a massive datacenter project that would have brought significant economic and environmental burdens to the city. The five residents who first spoke out against the proposal have been hailed as heroes by their community, and their victory has sent shockwaves across the nation.
The story began last December when the Monterey Park City Council proposed building a giant datacenter on land zoned for industrial use. The project would have been one of the largest in the country, covering an area equivalent to four football fields. However, five residents quickly sprang into action, using social media and word-of-mouth to raise awareness about the potential dangers of the facility.
No Data Center Monterey Park, a grassroots group formed by the five residents, worked tirelessly with local organizations such as San Gabriel Valley Progressive Action to build a campaign against the datacenter. They emphasized the potential environmental impacts, including increased energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the strain on the city's power grid and water supply.
The group also highlighted the noise pollution that would result from the facility's diesel generators, which would produce ambient air pollutants linked to respiratory illnesses. The campaign was notable for its inclusive approach, with materials distributed in English, Chinese, and Spanish to reach Monterey Park's diverse population.
As the campaign gained momentum, hundreds of residents turned out to a teach-in and rally, knocking on doors and distributing flyers to raise awareness about the issue. A petition quickly accumulated nearly 5,000 signatures, further demonstrating the community's opposition to the project.
In just six weeks, the community achieved a remarkable victory when the City Council issued a 45-day moratorium on datacenter construction and pledged to explore a permanent ban. For Steven Kung, co-founder of No Data Center Monterey Park, the outcome was a testament to the power of grassroots organizing.
"It's like the third act of an Oscar-winning movie," Kung said in an interview. "We never thought we'd be able to stop this project, but our community came together and made it happen."
The victory has sent ripples across the nation, with similar datacenter projects facing opposition in other states. Research by Data Center Watch, a group that tracks opposition to datacenters, found that over 50 active groups across 17 states have targeted 30 projects since 2023, resulting in at least two-thirds of them being halted.
The movement against datacenters has also brought together unlikely allies, including nimbys and environmentalists in Virginia, "Stop the Steal" activists and Democratic Socialists of America organizers in Michigan. The widespread opposition to datacenters reflects a growing concern about the impact of big tech on local communities and the environment.
As Miquel Vila, lead analyst at Data Center Watch, noted, "There's no safe space for datacenters." Local fights against AI infrastructure have even begun to influence state and federal policy, with some lawmakers backing calls for a datacenter moratorium or regulation.
In Indiana, where local communities are fighting 50 datacenter projects and halting at least a dozen in the past year, organizers say that bipartisan opposition is becoming increasingly powerful. "It's like a revolt in the heartland," said Bryce Gustafson, who organizes with the Citizens Action Coalition.
The fight against datacenters has also resonated with conservative voters, many of whom are concerned about land privatization and tech overreach. In Virginia, where more than 600 datacenters already exist, the newly elected governor campaigned on lowering utility bills by ensuring that AI companies pay their fair share of electricity costs.
As Andrew Yip, a community organizer with SGV Progressive Action, said, "This is about community members rising to the occasion to look out for one another." For No Data Center Monterey Park, the victory is just the beginning – the group plans to continue engaging new neighbors, gathering signatures, and showing up at council meetings to ensure that the proposed facility is never built.
they actually did it! I mean, 5 residents taking on a massive corporation and winning? that's like, the ultimate underdog story 
it just goes to show you what can be accomplished when people come together for a common cause 
no data center monterey park has shown us that even one person can make a difference 
they actually stopped a massive datacenter project in cali because of 5 residents who spoke out 
its amazing how much power grassroots organizing can have 
and btw, no data center monterey park sounds like an awesome group name 
about what happened in Monterey Park! I mean, a datacenter that huge would've been bad news for the whole city 
...but those 5 residents who spoke out against it? Total heroes 
.
...it just goes to show that community engagement is key in fighting against projects like this. And now, the whole nation's taking notice 
...with all these other states having similar datacenter opposition groups forming? It's amazing to see how grassroots organizing can lead to real change 
.
...even some conservatives are getting on board with the cause. This is all about community members looking out for one another 
!
now let's hope other cities take note and follow their lead 
they're gonna be everywhere and we need them to keep our tech running smoothly. I mean, those five residents in Monterey Park were basically saving the world from a bunch of noise pollution and energy waste... sounds like a bunch of NIMBYs to me 
. And what's with all this 'community coming together' business? Can't they just get out of the way and let progress happen? 
. It's so inspiring to see people power making a difference, especially in their own community. The fact that they were able to rally so many people and get the City Council to pause construction is just incredible 
. Can we learn from their example? Absolutely!
they actually stopped the datacenter from happening!!! 
the fact that there are more groups popping up across the nation is amazing 
It's not like they did anything special, it was just a bunch of people showing up at city council meetings and talking trash about the project 
. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for community organizing and whatnot... but let's be real, this is just a small town with a small project 
.
How about the carbon emissions from the datacenter itself? 
.
. i'm all for protecting our environment & local communities from big corps exploiting them... let's keep the momentum going & stop these datacenters in their tracks 
!
. But until then, I'll be keeping my eye on these datacenter developments with a healthy dose of skepticism