Data Center Moratorium Extension
Summary
The council froze new data center applications for 45 days so staff can study water, power, noise, and health impacts and bring back regulations. AMEDIS, manager of the Riverbank Industrial Complex, warned the pause could scare off a potential billion-dollar investment, while residents urged independent, second-party information and community education before any approval.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 13
- Last 30 days
- 7
Discussed at 1 meeting in the last 60 days; most recently Oct 13, 2026.
Impact analysis
A data center at the RIC could bring roughly $10 million a year in new property tax revenue, but the city is pausing to make sure water, power, and neighborhood costs don't land on residents.
Residents get a pause and time to understand what data centers could mean for their water, power bills, and neighborhoods before anything is approved.
AMEDIS and potential data center developers face delay and, in their view, a negative investment signal during the freeze.
Mentions & discussions (4)
City Council / Local Redevelopment Authority - Oct 13, 2026
The council fought over how long to keep the pause on data center approvals while staff studies water, power, noise, and wastewater impacts. A proposed technology center at the Riverbank Industrial Complex says a long moratorium kills its billion-dollar project; the council settled on five months with possible extensions.
City Council / Local Redevelopment Authority - Sep 8, 2026
The council froze new data center applications for 45 days so staff can study water, power, noise, and health impacts and bring back regulations. AMEDIS, manager of the Riverbank Industrial Complex, warned the pause could scare off a potential billion-dollar investment, while residents urged independent, second-party information and community education before any approval.
City Council / Local Redevelopment Authority - Aug 25, 2026
Mayor Hernandez pushed for a moratorium so the city can set its own standards for data centers, citing water and power demands and past loopholes — a bitcoin operation once leased space at the RIC. Staff confirmed there's no specific municipal code for data centers, and the council agreed to bring an urgency moratorium to the next meeting.
City Council / Local Redevelopment Authority - Jul 28, 2026
Residents raised concerns that AI data centers — reportedly eyed near the former munitions plant — and immigration detention facilities could come to Riverbank without public input, and questioned whether aging water and sewer infrastructure can handle continued growth.
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