Imperial County
1 data center project we know about. 8 cities and unincorporated areas.
Local votes and rules
🚫 Ban · Calipatria
Council voted 3-2 to move forward a permanent ban on data centers. It needs a second vote to become law; that vote was not found.
🚫 Ban · Calexico
Council voted unanimously to have staff write a full ban on data centers, instead of a short pause. The final vote was not found.
⏸️ Pause on new data centers · Imperial County
Supervisors paused final approvals for data centers in unincorporated areas, then extended it to about mid-2027 on July 14. A court set it aside in August 2026; the county then repealed it.
⏸️ Pause on new data centers · Imperial
Council voted 5-0 to pause data centers, battery storage and other high-energy uses for 45 days. It later extended the pause to May 2027.
⚖️ Court case · Imperial County
The data center developer sued to stop the county's pause. In August 2026 the judge found the county did not show an urgent threat and ordered the pause set aside.
✅ Approved · Imperial County
Supervisors approved the land merger the Imperial Valley data center needed, overturning the Planning Commission's 'no' vote. A judge later said this needed a full environmental study.
⚖️ Court case · Imperial
The City of Imperial (later with the Sierra Club) sued the county, saying the data center needs a full environmental study. On August 31, 2026 the judge's tentative ruling agreed.
Find your town
In California, cities and towns decide inside their limits. Outside them, the county decides.