Over the past two months, a proposal for a hyperscale data center in the city of Coachella has unleashed fierce pushback from local residents.
Concerned over the cost of electricity and water usage, residents have voiced their opposition at numerous meetings of the Coachella City Council as well as a town hall held on Monday, May 11.
It’s a divisive topic that The Desert Sun has continued to cover as it develops. Here’s a roundup of all the stories we’ve written about it so far.
News of the data center proposal breaks out
A viral video released during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival caused news of the proposed data center to spread like wildfire on social media. In response, The Desert Sun produced a deep-dive into the topic.
The story, by reporter Paul Albani-Burgio, described the data center’s connection to a plan by Coachella to create a municipal electrical utility to eventually spur growth within the city.
Discussions get heated
Protesters disrupted a town hall that was intended to provide information to local residents. Reporter Jennifer Cortez was on hand to witness the strong emotions Coachella Valley residents displayed that evening.
Local contractor gets incorrectly blamed for building a data center
When Desert Hot Springs contractor Sky Construction discovered its equipment had been vandalized, Chief Operations Officer Mario Crncic posted a video on TikTok offering a reward for more information.
Reporter Sam Morgen covered the backlash that followed. Anonymous commenters blamed Crncic for building a data center — even though the company was grading for home construction in Cathedral City.
It’s part of a rising wave of resentment against data centers prevelant in the Coachella Valley and throughout the country.
Sam Morgen covers the city of Palm Springs for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coachella data center fight spreads. See video and what we know so far
Reporting by Sam Morgen, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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