Fresno City Council candidates Ariana Martinez Lott, left, and Nav Gurm.
Fresno Bee File
ISSUE | DATA CENTERS: The potential threat of data centers has become a hot topic at the Fresno City Council, despite no record of any projects coming to town.
On Sept. 3, the City Council voted 7-0 to start the process that could ban “AI/cloud data centers” for 10 years. That viewpoint is unlikely to change when voters in District 7 chose a new leader on Nov. 3.
Candidates Nav Gurm and Ariana Martinez Lott are against data centers in Fresno. They are running to succeed Nelson Esparza, who is termed out.
Martinez Lott on data centers
Martinez Lott spoke at the Sept. 3 City Council meeting, praising the potential ban. But, she said going through the process would take too long. She made an alternate suggestion.
“I urge the City Council to make an amendment to this resolution, making it an immediate temporary ban while this lengthy text amendment process takes place,” Martinez Lott said.
Gurm on data centers
In a video posted to his campaign Facebook, Gurm laid out his objections to data centers.
“We are not going to let Silicon Valley drain Fresno’s water just so a few more tech giants can make more money,” Gurm said.
Gurm supports a moratorium, and supported brining tech to Fresno, just not AI data centers. He said they consume too much water and offer too few jobs.
“That’s the wrong trade-off for our city,” he said.
This story was originally published September 18, 2026 at 12:22 PM.
The Fresno Bee
David joined The Fresno Bee in 2026 as Civic Watchdog Reporter. He covers elected officials from the Central Valley and the ins and outs of local elections and politics. David also keeps a sharp eye on how your local tax dollars are spent. David previously worked at GV Wire for 10 years. Born in Los Altos, California, David graduated from the University of Michigan and has lived in Fresno for two decades with his family.