Artificial intelligence is part of my daily life, helping me draft proposals, build PowerPoint decks and analyze data quickly. I’m grateful AI makes my work easier, despite its limitations.
On Jan. 14, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved Supervisor Jim Desmond’s proposal to study the impacts of AI data centers before approving new facilities. They got it right.
Every time I type a prompt, there’s a physical reality buzzing in the background — rows of servers, cooling systems working overtime, electricity and water flowing in quantities that are hard to wrap my head around. The cloud is anchored to real places, and soon enough, more of those places may be right here in San Diego County.
The scale is staggering. A single data center can use as much electricity as 100,000 homes. According to Pew, data centers accounted for 4% of U.S. electricity in 2024, which equals the entire electricity demand of Pakistan. That number is projected to increase by 133% by 2030.
Who pays for that?
For San Diego residents, the answer feels familiar. Electricity here costs between 41 and 47 cents per kilowatt-hour, tripling the national average. Nearly a quarter of SDG&E’s residential customers are behind on their bills.
Microsoft’s vice chair and president, Brad Smith, told Congress this month that Big Tech should “pay our way” for data center infrastructure. Desmond’s proposal creates the mechanism to make that promise real. County staff will analyze impacts on electricity rates, water usage, fire risk, road wear and noise, and recommend rules and fee structures.
Northern Virginia’s experience shows what happens when data centers arrive prematurely, leading to electricity rate hikes and continued reliance on fossil fuels. Once built, it’s hard to reverse the impact.
The jobs argument doesn’t hold. A University of Michigan study found data centers rarely create lasting economic growth or meaningful local careers. One company promised 400 jobs but delivered only 26 at a median salary of $38,000. Construction creates temporary work, but few are needed to maintain operations.
Desmond has framed this as a way to protect ratepayers from costs Big Tech might otherwise pass on. He’s right. When trillion-dollar companies promise to pay their way, we should get commitments in writing — before breaking ground.
The board’s vote doesn’t close the door on AI data centers. It gives us a chance to understand costs before rushing to embrace benefits. County staff will return with their findings, and that’s when the real debate begins.
Will safeguards have teeth? Will transparency reveal true costs, or be watered down before decisions are made? Will fee structures genuinely protect ratepayers, or will families already struggling with high bills end up footing the tab for someone else’s profits?
I work for a business that depends on these tools. I want the infrastructure that makes all of this possible. But I also want my neighbors to be able to afford their electricity bills. These shouldn’t be mutually exclusive.
Big Tech needs data centers, and San Diego needs jobs and investment. But we don’t need to accept whatever terms they offer. The board’s vote gives us the chance to insist on a better deal.
The county will study impacts, and industry will almost certainly push back. There will be promises of jobs, tax revenue and innovation, along with warnings that any delay will send these projects elsewhere. If a company won’t accept basic transparency and protections, let them look elsewhere.
Desmond said it best: “Big Tech should pay for their infrastructure and energy demands, not San Diego ratepayers.”
This isn’t about being anti-technology. It’s about accountability. I’ll continue to use AI, and I’ll continue to benefit from what it can do. But I’ll also continue to expect that the companies behind these tools contribute their fair share to the communities that support them.
The board has taken an important first step. Now it’s up to all of us to ensure the study leads to real protections — not just suggestions, but requirements. San Diego can’t afford to settle for anything less.
Watkinson is a proposal writer for a federal IT contractor and an associate instructor at MiraCosta College. He lives in Carlsbad.