San Francisco, Oakland approve 45-day moratoriums on data centers

The pushback against data centers continues to spread across the Bay Area and across the country, with San Francisco and Oakland joining others in pausing their development.

"I know we're talking about data centers. How about community centers? How about schools?" said Malik Seneferu of the Marie Harrison Community Foundation, who spoke at a meeting of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

Across the Bay in Oakland, Nichole Ghio joined a group of Oakland residents outside City Hall, rallying for a 45-day moratorium proposed by Councilmember Carroll Fife.

"I think it's gotten to this point because the future we're being sold is really bad," Ghio said. "It's unclear really what the payoff is for us."

The moratorium passed Tuesday night, giving officials a chance to look into the actual impact of data centers on Oakland's communities. Oakland can also extend the pause after 45 days, which some believe should happen if studies aren't complete.

"Take into consideration what all the impacts could be, and to complete the study," said Gustavo Gutierrez of Communities for a Better Environment.

Concerns remain across the Bay Area, and nationwide, of potential rises in utility use and costs, environmental concerns, along with possible lack of broader community benefits.

"Better quality of life for who? We're talking about tech billionaires and trillionaires who are looking to become more wealthy," said Ghio, who is the California director of Food and Water Watch.

Also on Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors also passed a 45-day moratorium on data centers after hearing concerns from residents.

"All you say is jobs, and everybody is on board. Well, construction is only temporary work. Running a data center, it really provides like very, very few jobs," said Marie, a San Francisco resident who did not give her last name.

Seneferu said, "It seems like San Francisco is growing increasingly less for humans, and more for robots and billionaires."

Other Bay Area cities that have faced backlash over data centers include Pittsburg, Oakley and Gilroy.

Late last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a series of bills aimed at regulating data center development.