San Francisco supervisor seeks moratorium on new data centers

Artificial intelligence has a huge hunger for data, and data centers are being put up as fast as they can build them.  But just as there are now calls to slow down the development of AI, some San Francisco officials are looking to pause the construction of any new centers that support it.

Just two months ago, a proposal was floated to build a data center at the Cow Palace in Daly City, just across the San Francisco city limit, and a website called Data Center Map indicates that 10 other data centers now exist within six miles of the Cow Palace, most in San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood.

District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton, who represents the area, announced he will call for a 45-day moratorium on data center approval or construction at Tuesday's board meeting.  

"We don't know what impacts any of these data centers have, regardless of the footprint, regardless of the size," he said at a press conference outside City Hall on Monday. "And so, this legislation is going to give us the opportunity to press 'pause' and do the responsible thing for our communities."

Five private data centers already exist in the Bayview inside large, unmarked buildings at 200 and 400 Paul Avenue. Walton says they were quietly approved under rules established in 2001, before the explosion of AI and recent concerns surrounding the technology.

"This is impacting poor communities of color. This is a sleeper. They have done the Walmart approach. They have started in our rural areas, and are making their way to our city," said Geoffrea Morris who lives in the neighborhood. "Throughout the nation, there have been sweeping policies, votes at night. You have to understand, even AI CEOs are saying, 'Hold it, put a pause, slow down.' If those who are creating it say to pause, we should be alarmed."

The fact that so many facilities are being built in a working class, predominantly Black neighborhood like the Bayview is not lost on Dion-Jay Brookter. The community activist and candidate for District 10 supervisor says he's not surprised that something controversial would be located in his community.

"If you ask me, I think it's because of the disproportionality," he said.  "If we can build something that's going to have some environmental impacts, it seems like the majority of it comes to our district, has come historically to this district."

"And our community should not, once again, be asked to be tasked with carrying these burdens," said Walton. "Nor should any community here in San Francisco."

Walton said 45 days is the maximum time a moratorium can be imposed by the board at this point, but he said it can be extended for up to 220 days beyond that if necessary. If passed, the moratorium would put a halt to any new permits or construction, including proposals to increase the power capacity of data centers that already exist, Walton said.  

Supporters of the pause say the city will be using the time to investigate community impacts in order to create a more up-to-date ordinance for regulating the rapidly developing industry.

"This is the infancy stages," said Brookter. "To say, 'Hey, pause, stop, let's lay down all the pencils. You can no longer take the test right now. Like, time is up.' We need to have conversations about what's going on."