Overview
- City staff presented draft development standards at a packed community meeting on Oct. 15 and say they will bring a finalized ordinance to City Council in December with the law taking effect 30 days after approval.
- The draft would require recycled or low‑water cooling, 100% carbon‑neutral electricity, EPA Tier 4 backup generators, limits on generator testing hours, noise barriers and regular third‑party audits of water and energy reports.
- San José officials say 11 data‑center applications are under review and that two projects could be approved before the new standards are finalized.
- Hundreds of residents, faith leaders and youth activists rallied for a temporary moratorium, arguing many provisions use advisory language like “encourage,” that enforcement capacity is unclear, and that current zoning can let projects proceed without council review.
- Other Bay Area cities have imposed moratoriums, and San José’s regulatory path could shape who pays for grid and water upgrades, affect local jobs, and prompt calls for stronger permitting, monitoring and zoning changes.