Fresno Moves Toward Data Center Ban

Fresno officials are considering a 10-year prohibition on new data centers, including facilities used for artificial-intelligence training and deployment, amid concerns about water use, electricity demand, grid effects, land requirements, and limited local jobs.

The proposal would also reduce planning-director discretion over approving unlisted uses, while a separate development-code amendment is being prepared for possible City Council consideration in December. The debate reflects wider Central Valley resistance, including a temporary Tulare County moratorium and scrutiny of proposed projects near Lemoore.