The Hayward Exchange @92 Data Center on Clawitter Road is operational and currently leased to Amazon Web Services.Vol. VI, No. 1,410
Hayward could become the next East Bay city to temporarily slam the brakes on data centers when the City Council considers an urgency ordinance Tuesday night imposing a 45-day moratorium on new developments.
The proposal follows a unanimous council vote last month directing city staff to study the environmental impacts of data centers, particularly their enormous electricity demands, water consumption and potential effects on utility rates.
The proposed moratorium would give Hayward time to consider tougher regulations or potentially an outright ban on new facilities.
In the past month, Oakland, Richmond, and San Francisco have approved 45-day emergency moratoriums on new data centers.
Mayor Mark Salinas, along with Councilmembers George Syrop and Angela Andrews initiated the effort in August, citing increasing public concerns about the industry’s rapidly expanding footprint and its consumption of natural resources.
Hayward currently has four data centers, all clustered around PG&E’s Eastern Substation in the city’s industrial area. Among them, The Stack Data Center, a large-scale 76.6 megawatt facility on Eden Landing Road that triggered widespread concern in Hayward after it was approved by the city last year.
The energy issue is particularly relevant as growing demand for electricity from data centers raises broader questions about grid capacity and whether clean-energy supplies can keep pace.
The Stack Data Center is required to use 100% carbon-free electricity, but unknown if local utilities have capacity serve them renewable energy at the scale needed the particular projects and those that may one day come online, according to staff report.
The proposed urgency ordinance requires six votes to pass. An initial 45-day moratorium could eventually be extended for up to two years.
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🎙️EAST BAY INSIDERS PODCAST
—EPISODE 142—Former Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor joins East Bay Insiders for an inside look at the federal corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and the Duong family.
—Taylor discusses the alleged conspiracy that emerged from the 2022 mayoral election, its impact on his campaign, and what the explosive courtroom testimony reveals about Oakland politics.
—Plus, the CA-14 congressional race takes an ugly turn after Melissa Hernández accuses Rep. Aisha Wahab of communicating with the Taliban during a debate. Was it a desperate political attack that backfired? We break down the remark, and what it means for their increasingly bitter November rematch.
—Listen on Substack or download episodes at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
