{"id":1124,"date":"2026-06-03T19:11:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T19:11:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1124"},"modified":"2026-06-03T19:11:39","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T19:11:39","slug":"with-overwhelming-support-monterey-park-on-cusp-of-californias-first-data-center-ban","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1124","title":{"rendered":"With \u2018overwhelming\u2019 support, Monterey Park on cusp of California\u2019s first data center ban"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<p>A ballot measure amending the Monterey Park general plan to prohibit data centers citywide showed overwhelming support in early voting returns Tuesday night, June 2, marking an apparent big victory for its supporters who were on the cusp of the state\u2019s first data center ban.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1122\">5.1 quake hit Northern California before 6 a.m. followed by 4.5 less than a half hour later<\/a><\/p>\n<p>As of the latest results posted at 10:50 p.m., yes on Measure NDC had 86.8% of the vote.<\/p>\n<p>Monterey Park Councilmember Thomas Wong said Tuesday\u2019s night early returns provided a clear answer from the community about the controversial resource guzzlers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe sentiment is very overwhelming that we do not want data centers in Monterey Park,\u201d Wong said.<\/p>\n<p>He said he was proud of the community and the work done in recent months ahead of election day. Wong said it was pretty clear that this would be the result, and was not surprised by the large margin of support the ban had so far.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMeasure NDC\u2019s landslide victory is a reflection of their people powered campaign to stop data centers in Monterey Park,\u201d said state Sen. Sasha Ren\u00e9e P\u00e9rez, D-Pasadena. \u201cAI tech corporations have rapidly expanded data centers across the country leading to increased electricity rates for consumers and environmental pollution. We must stop the madness.<\/p>\n<p>Perez said Monterey Park voters spoke with a \u201cmoral clarity\u201d that will serve as a model for other communities \u201cwho refuse to let corporations ruin the neighborhoods they care so much about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1120\">East Bay shoplifting duo crash into vehicle after pursuit called off<\/a><\/p>\n<p>In March, Monterey Park City Council approved the June ballot measure that would ban data centers citywide. It came in response to a proposed 1977 Saturn Drive data center project from developer HMC StratCap.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Community members along with environmental protection groups pushed back against the proposed project. More than 20 groups, including the Food &amp; Water Watch, wrote a letter to the City Council in March urging it to reject the HMC project.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe expansion of data centers poses major environmental and economic threats due to rapidly increasing demand for energy, driving more fossil fuel pollution, straining water resources and raising electricity prices,\u201d the letter read.<\/p>\n<p>HMC StratCap eventually withdrew its data center project application.<\/p>\n<p>According to Food &amp; Water Watch, in 2023 data centers in California consumed 95% more electricity than in 2019 and 13 billion gallons of water.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>If approved, the measure would be the first instance of a California city instituting a data center ban. The measure needs a majority of votes to be approved.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1118\">Jennifer Garner had to put career on hold amid Ben Affleck \u2018upheaval\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>This is a developing story. Check back for updates.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Staff writer Anissa Rivera contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The ballot measure rapidly emerged amid major pushback to a proposed data center development in the city.  Bottom line, says a councilman: &#8220;We do not want data centers in Monterey Park.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>With \u2018overwhelming\u2019 support, Monterey Park on cusp of California\u2019s first data center ban - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1124\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"With \u2018overwhelming\u2019 support, Monterey Park on cusp of California\u2019s first data center ban - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The ballot measure rapidly emerged amid major pushback to a proposed data center development in the city. 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