San Jose officials propose pause on data center approvals until rules are passed

Seeking to prevent developers from slipping projects in under the wire, San Jose leaders want to temporarily halt approvals for data centers until the city votes on new regulations in December. Mayor Matt Mahan and Councilmembers Pamela Campos, David Cohen, Peter Ortiz and Domingo Candelas are expected to introduce the measure ahead of key hearings, with the draft standards heading to the Planning Commission on Nov. 18 before a final City Council vote scheduled for Dec. 8. The proposed regulations come as San Jose attempts to balance the economic promise of data centers against strains on local resources and potential environmental harm. Residents at an open forum last month expressed concern that companies building data centers could skirt the rules by seeking approval ahead of the draft regulations. “We will not consider any project until we have the strongest possible regulations, not just approved, but implemented,” the city leaders said in a joint statement. Under San Jose’s curre