Imperial Valley Data Center Water Dispute

A proposed 74-acre AI data center campus near Imperial, California, is at the center of a dispute over access to Colorado River water.

Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing sued after the Imperial Irrigation District denied its request, with filings citing annual water needs of roughly 260 million to 287 million gallons for cooling and projected power demand of up to 330 megawatts. The case matters because it could affect how agricultural water is redirected to industrial use, while also raising questions about local permitting authority, Colorado River allocations, and grid reliability during peak heat.