El Centro joins nationwide protests against data centers
Jessamyn Dodd
EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) – Residents joined in as part of a nationwide anti-data center protests Saturday in El Centro.
A recent survey by Gallup shows that 48% of Americans oppose AI data centers.
Protesters say this is an issue for everyone, regardless of party affiliation.
“It’s definitely a nonpartisan issue. It’s going to affect all of us,” El Centro resident Jocelyne Garcia said.
“Climate change does not discriminate against anybody, so definitely I can see it being an issue that everybody should be involved with and everybody should be aware of what these things can be,” she added.
Jake Tison, a resident of El Centro, has been outspoken against proposed data centers in the Imperial Valley, says he’s moved past requesting a moratorium and calls for a full ban.
“We don’t trust them. We want a ban. We tried to get a moratorium early on, and they didn’t want that,” Tison explained.
Possible negative environmental effects of data centers including electric and water usage, are on the protesters’ minds, as were health concerns.
Tison said, “The air is already bad down here now. You want to pollute it. If you put 10 data centers down here, you’re going to have what, another 1,000 generators, 1500 generators going at the same time. Come on, so ban these things.”
Civic engagement was a common theme as residents touted the anti-data center movement that has taken off across the county.
“I feel like the community has done a great job speaking out, reaching out, attending the board of supervisor meetings, city council meetings, town hall meetings, and attending protests like this,” Shlea Edwards said.
A few local artists decided to make a statement with their art to create signs.
“Climate change right now is the biggest threat, and AI and data centers are just accelerating that,” Christina Gutierrez, a Holtville artist, said.
This comes as city councils across the Imperial Valley, like Calipatria and Calexico, are weighing an outright ban on data centers altogether.