San Jose could approve a major Google data center project in Alviso before new city development rules take effect in December, according to sanjosespotlight.com reported.
The proposed facility on Disk Drive would require 250 megawatts of power, enough to supply 250,000 homes. Environmental advocates worry this timing allows developers to bypass stricter regulations on noise, emissions, and audits.
Mayor Matt Mahan promised to implement the strictest data center standards in the United States, but he declined to comment on how the city will mitigate health and environmental issues if projects win approval beforehand. Since municipal staff began drafting these standards in June, developers have filed five projects in two months. City records show 16 data centers and large energy-use projects are currently approved or under review.
Google has referred to the Alviso site as a research and development laboratory, though architectural plans include substations, switch stations, three transformers, generator yards, and cooling equipment. The project at 5079 and 5087 Disk Drive involves demolishing an existing warehouse and parking lot to build three facilities spanning nearly 483,000 square feet. City officials categorize the site as a high-energy-use project rather than a traditional data center.
It could be heard at a planning director's hearing as soon as December, Krause told sanjosespotlight.com, adding that environmental evaluations will become public before any hearings occur.
The California Public Utilities Commission classifies the installation as a data center in its regulatory documents. State agency staff recommend commissioners approve an agreement requiring Google to provide a $150 million capital advance for transmission grid upgrades, which would be fully reimbursed by utility ratepayers over 15 years.
City officials do not plan to conduct a full environmental review of the proposed project and will instead rely on previous reports from the California Environmental Quality Act of 2000 and 2013.
Councilmember David Cohen, whose District 4 includes the Google project, said that he has not heard when the tech giant or the city might push forward with the project.
Ellina Yin, founder of the civic engagement non-profit Dreaming Collaborative, criticized the notification process for these administrative hearings. “Since AI data centers are such a big deal, they should handle it in a very different way,” Yin told sanjosespotlight.com. The California Public Utilities Commission scheduled its examination of the power agreement for November 19.