.JPG "Tulare County Supervisors Eddie Valero (right) and Larry Micars voted for a 45-day moratorium on data center development to study impacts on water, power, air quality and agriculture before permanent rules are set.")
Tulare County Supervisors Eddie Valero (right) and Larry Micars voted for a 45-day moratorium on data center development to study impacts on water, power, air quality and agriculture before permanent rules are set.
María G. Ortiz-Briones
mortizbriones@vidaenelvalle.com
VISALIA
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors adopted Tuesday morning an interim ordinance to establish a 45-day moratorium on data center development in any unincorporated part of the county, with the possibility of extension up to a year.
The county’s proposal aims to evaluate the impact of data centers on public health, safety and infrastructure before permanent regulations are established. Concerns raised include water consumption, electrical demand, noise pollution and potential negative impacts on agriculture and air quality.
The board also considered opposing data center developments in other jurisdictions within the county during the moratorium period. The motion passed 4-1, with Supervisor Dennis Townsend dissenting.
The Tulare supervisors didn’t mention Global Stack’s “small” data center proposal at the county’s fairgrounds by name during their moratorium discussion Tuesday morning.
Supervisor Larry Micari said the county should oppose any development of data centers in the the county regardless of whether the proposal is for state properties or within city limits.
Supervisor Eddie Valero agreed with Micari to have a clause that stipulates the county is against any data centers being proposed or planned by cities that are near county jurisdiction.
Mariela Loera, policy manager with Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, said while it supports the proposed 45-day moratorium, it urges “the board to go beyond simply regulating these facilities and instead do an analysis of whether data centers make sense at all in the region,” and to consider a permanent ban.
Data center concerns in Tulare, Kings counties
Last month, residents in Tulare and Kings counties voiced concerns about the possibility of small data centers coming to the fairgrounds in both counties sometime in the future.
The Tulare and Kings counties fairgrounds are evaluating a proposed partnership with Global Stack LLC to help strengthen the fairgrounds long-term financial sustainability as year-round public venues. The California-based company plans to build a network of edge computing systems at fairgrounds throughout the state.
Global Stack’s proposal includes a network of compact, 8- to 10-megawatt, self-contained edge computing systems approximately the size of a standard shipping container.
It is unclear how much money the partnership would bring to each of the fairgrounds annually. Details of the proposal, including the location of the project on the fairgrounds or timeline, have not been disclosed by either party. Last month, the Tulare County Fair board tabled taking action on leasing two to five acres of underused fairground land to Global Stack for the project.
The Tulare board is meeting Tuesday evening but does not have an item for data center on Tuesday’s agenda. Community groups plan to rally against Global Stack’s proposal at the fairgrounds before the meeting.
Cities of Hanford, Visalia data center stances
Saturday night, the city of Hanford posted a public statement on its social media accounts opposing data center development within or adjacent to the community without “meaningful local review, public participation, environmental analysis and enforceable protections for residents and public infrastructure.”
“Hanford residents deserve a meaningful voice in decisions that could affect their neighborhoods, public services, and quality of life for decades,” said City Manager Chris Tavarez. “Data center projects must be evaluated openly, with full consideration of their benefits, costs, risks and long-term impacts.”
No specific data center project, land use application or regulatory amendment has been presented to the Hanford City Council for consideration or action, according to the statement.
On Monday, the Visalia City Council discussed a proposal to set up a moratorium on data centers due to concerns over water and electricity usage.
At the meeting, Councilmember Brian Poochigian emphasized the city’s struggle with groundwater and electricity, arguing that data centers do not fit into the city’s planning and would not be job creators while other members want the moratorium to include closed-loop systems used in smaller data centers.
The council approved placing the item on a future agenda to discuss a moratorium prohibiting data centers and similar high-intensity uses. Visalia is the first city in Tulare County to reject data centers. The City Council had a unified stance against data centers in Visalia, emphasizing the city’s proactive approach to planning and resource management.
This story was originally published August 18, 2026 at 4:08 PM.
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María G. Ortiz-Briones is a reporter and photographer for McClatchy’s Vida en el Valle and the Fresno Bee. She covers issues that impact the Latino community in the Central Valley. She is a regular contributor to La Abeja, The Bee’s free weekly newsletter on Latino issues. | María G. Ortiz-Briones es reportera y fotógrafa de Vida en el Valle de McClatchy y el Fresno Bee. Ella cubre temas que impactan a la comunidad latina en el Valle Central. Es colaboradora habitual de La Abeja, el boletín semanal gratuito de The Bee sobre temas latinos.
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