Data Center Opposition Gains Momentum After Legal Setbacks and Local Policy Wins in Imperial Valley

-Editorial 

Temperatures reached about 100 degrees Fahrenheit on the morning of Saturday, July 18. Still, the heat did not deter a group of Imperial Valley residents from gathering at the corner of Imperial and Main streets in El Centro to continue their opposition to a proposed data center project.

The demonstration marked the latest chapter in a controversy that has unfolded over the past seven months surrounding a controversial 950,000-square-foot hyperscale facility planned on Aten and Clark Rd in the unincorporated area of Imperial County that would support artificial intelligence operations and include a 330-megawatt power capacity.

When the proposal first became public, residents raised concerns about the project’s potential effects and said they believed more information was needed regarding the development, which is part of a growing number of data center projects proposed across the United States. Community members subsequently organized and urged the Imperial County Board of Supervisors, city councils and other local governing bodies throughout Imperial Valley to reject similar projects.

Project developer Sebastian Rucci has maintained that the proposed data center would bring economic benefits to the Imperial Valley, including investment and job creation. However, as the proposal has moved through public hearings, legal challenges and local politics, several key developments have not gone in Rucci’s favor.

The dispute expanded beyond public meetings and into the courts, where Rucci filed lawsuits against several individuals and organizations, including KPBS, Comité Cívico del Valle, its director José Luis Olmedo, and Mt. Signal Media’s Jake Tison, who became one of the most prominent voices opposing the project. All those lawsuits were dismissed. 

The controversy also carried into local politics. During the 2026 primary election for the Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors, journalist Carlos Durán, who had received support from Rucci, was soundly defeated by incumbent Alex Cárdenas.

Meanwhile, local governments have taken steps to address data center development concerns. The Imperial County Board of Supervisors approved a one-year moratorium on new data center permits while an ad hoc committee reviews potential regulations and policies for future proposals.

In all these decisions, Tison was always seen speaking out, holding elected officials accountable. 

When Tison first heard about plans for a massive data center in Imperial County, he didn’t see it as just another development project. Having spent years working with major technology companies, he believed he understood what hyperscale data centers required, and what they could mean for the community.

On Dec. 18, he walked into a Planning Commission meeting for the first time and spoke publicly against the proposal.

“I knew about data centers. I’ve worked with big tech. I’ve worked with DXC and Oracle… so I knew exactly what these things were. Knowing where they wanted to put that, it was an absolute complete danger to children.”

His concerns centered on the project’s proximity to homes and schools, arguing that a region already facing high childhood asthma rates should not become what he described as a “sacrifice zone.”

“One in five children in this valley have asthma. Come on, man, what are you doing here?”

Week after week, Tison returned to public meetings. His speeches spread across social media, making him one of the most recognizable faces of the growing opposition. As the movement gained momentum, the project’s developer filed a defamation lawsuit naming Tison, community activist Luis Olmedo and Comité Cívico del Valle.

Tison said he had never been paid by any organization to oppose the project.

“I’ve never been paid by anybody down here. Those things that I said online come from my brain. They come from my mouth. That’s where I’m at.”

The campaign came with a steep personal cost. Tison said he gave up an estimated $50,000 to $60,000 in consulting work, started a GoFundMe campaign, obtained assistance from a local food bank and reduced his electricity use to save money.

Still, he said he never questioned whether the effort was worth it.

“It’s worth it to stand up and fight. It’s worth it to be there for kids, be there for people that don’t have a voice, be there for the elderly, be there for your neighbors.”

For Tison, the movement was rooted in civic participation and free speech.

“Our First Amendment right is our right, and we’re allowed to say it. Especially in public. If you can come to the Board of Supervisors and say it in public, you should be safe.”

Julian Daniel of Holtville said opponents of the proposed data center project must continue organizing and encouraging residents to become involved in local government.

 “Those three losses that the developer faced are not going to end. He will continue to lose,” Daniel said. “I feel that the people of the Imperial Valley need to step up continuously, never lose momentum, and ultimately the goal is to push civilians into the seats of leadership, into the seats of the Board of Supervisors, to replace those who are corrupt and that’s profit over people.”

“We will never stop. We will never rest.” Daniel said he attended a protest after completing a 12-hour work shift, adding that he remained committed to the cause. “I came to protest because this movement shall never stop,” he said.