No Data Center in Monterey Park
Monterey Park residents deserve transparency, responsible planning, and development that truly serves our community. The proposed data center would significantly increase energy use, strain public infrastructure, and bring long-term environmental and quality-of-life impacts. The city has pushed this project forward without a full Environmental Impact Report and with minimal public outreach.
Most residents only learned about this project after it was already in motion. Since then, community members have organized, spoken out, and asked for answers. We still don’t have the information, clarity, or public process that this level of development requires.
This site exists to help residents stay informed, share verified information, and take action. Monterey Park deserves thoughtful, community-centered development, not a rushed high-impact project pushed forward without meaningful review.
FAQs
What is a data center?
A data center is a large facility that stores and operates computer servers. These servers run the systems and platforms people use every day, including cloud storage, streaming services, artificial intelligence tools, gaming platforms, banking networks, and internet services.
Instead of sitting on personal devices, massive amounts of data are stored and processed in these buildings so companies can run global digital operations.
Data centers require constant electricity to power equipment and continuous cooling systems to prevent overheating. Because of this, they use large amounts of energy and often require upgrades to electrical infrastructure. They operate 24 hours a day and are designed for industrial use, not community or commercial neighborhood settings.
While data centers are essential to the digital world, their impacts vary widely depending on how and where they are built.
What exactly is being proposed in Monterey Park?
A private developer is proposing to build a large 247,480-square-foot data center on Saturn Avenue, replacing mostly unused office buildings. The project includes a new Southern California Edison substation and 24 backup diesel generators. The facility would operate 24 hours a day.
Has the city done full environmental review?
The City is moving forward without requiring a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Instead, they are using a Mitigated Negative Declaration, meaning they are claiming the project will have no significant environmental impacts after mitigation. Residents and environmental groups disagree and are requesting a full EIR.
Why wasn’t the public informed earlier?
The project has been in development since 2024. Many residents only learned about it after the November 19, 2025 council meeting. Canvassing near the site confirmed that many who live closest to the project had no prior knowledge.
How many people would work at the site?
According to the city's report, the project would only create up to 26 permanent jobs operating the facility. Most would be technical roles, not general local hiring.
How much energy would the data center use?
Documents shared by the city indicate extremely high energy demand. One Bloomberg analysis showed areas with similar data centers experienced wholesale electricity cost spikes of up to 267 percent over five years. Data centers of this size typically require tens of megawatts of power — comparable to powering thousands of homes. This project would double the amount of electricity use for the entire City of Monterey Park.
Will this affect electricity rates for residents?
Southern California Edison stated they do "not anticipate" rate increases, but independent reporting and examples from other cities show that when new substations or major distribution upgrades are needed, utility customers often share the cost. Many residents are concerned that the long-term infrastructure burden will fall on ratepayers.
How much water does a data center consume?
Cooling systems can use significant water. According to a report cited in the S.G.V. News article, similar facilities can use over 3 million gallons of water per day depending on cooling design. This raises questions about long-term water demand, safety, and drought resilience.
What happens next?
The final vote was postponed to January 21, 2026 to allow time for public comment and additional community outreach. The city and developer are now being asked to host town halls and respond to community questions.
