"In April, developers of the massive Imperial Data Center cleared a major hurdle after Imperial County Supervisors approved a plan to combine several tracts of land for the nearly one-million-square-foot facility in rural Southern California.

It would be the largest data center in the state; the parent company, Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing, LLC  describes it as a hyperscale facility, “designed exclusively for advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning operations.” 

Last week, that progress came to a halt when the county board walked back its decision, declaring a 45-day moratorium on data centers and forming a public commission to advise the county on zoning policy for the facilities.  Their reversal came after months of backlash, and a more than hour-long public hearing in which residents voiced sharp criticism of the sweeping project and its swift approval."

Deborah Brennan reports for CalMatters June 23, 2026. [2]