> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.raincrossgazette.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Riverside Committee Backs Temporary Data Center Moratorium - URL: https://www.raincrossgazette.com/riverside-committee-backs-temporary-data-center-moratorium/ - Published: 2026-09-15T02:15:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-15T02:14:59.000Z - Description: The proposed 90-day pause would give city officials time to define data centers and develop permanent restrictions. - Author: Micaela Ricaforte - Tags: City Hall Riverside could temporarily block new data center proposals for 90 days while city officials consider whether to ban the facilities permanently. The City Council's Land Use Committee voted unanimously Monday to recommend that the full council adopt an urgency moratorium on data centers. If approved, the temporary pause would prevent a proposal from moving forward while officials refine the city's definition of a data center and determine what long-term restrictions should apply. The committee's recommendation stops short of the immediate permanent prohibition [originally proposed by Ward 1 Councilmember Philip Falcone](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/a-citywide-data-center-ban-could-be-coming-to-riverside/). Instead, the temporary moratorium and work on a permanent policy would move forward simultaneously. "What would go to City Council, for example, is not debating if we should have data centers in Riverside or not," Falcone said. "It's more so just put a pause on this for now while these other committees and necessary processes occur." Under the committee's direction, staff would return with proposed definitions and policy language before sending the matter to the Planning Commission. Any permanent ordinance would ultimately require City Council approval. The original proposal called for amending the Riverside Municipal Code and city development regulations to explicitly prohibit data centers as permitted, conditionally permitted or otherwise allowable land uses anywhere in Riverside. The municipal code does not currently list data centers as an allowable use. According to the report, city staff already considers them prohibited unless the [Community & Economic Development Department director determines](https://library.municode.com/ca/riverside/codes/code%5Fof%5Fordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR%5FTIT19ZO%5FARTVBAZOREUSDEPR%5FCH19.149AILAUSCO&ref=raincrossgazette.com) that a proposed facility is similar to — and no more harmful than — an expressly permitted or conditional use. An ordinance would remove ambiguity and establish a clear citywide policy. Public records and industry directories indicate Riverside already contains at least three smaller data centers, including a [Lumen commercial colocation facility](https://www.datacentermap.com/usa/california/riverside/level3-riverside1/?ref=raincrossgazette.com), an [Acorn Technology facility](https://www.datacentermap.com/usa/california/riverside/marquisnet-riverside/?ref=raincrossgazette.com) and [Riverside County's central data center](https://rivco.gov/information-technology-services?ref=raincrossgazette.com). None appears to be a hyperscale artificial intelligence data center. The committee did not discuss those facilities or how the proposed moratorium and permanent restrictions could affect their operations or future expansion. Falcone argued that data centers could consume large amounts of electricity, water and land while creating relatively few permanent jobs. His report also raised concerns about noise, air quality and the backup generators and fuel-storage systems used to keep facilities operating during power interruptions. Electricity was also a top concern. [Riverside has only one connection to the statewide electrical grid](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/rtrp-construction-is-finally-underway-heres-what-riversiders-can-expect-in-the-next-several-months/), and Falcone said the city already struggles to meet demand during periods of extreme summer heat. Both Falcone and Ward 5 Councilmember Sean Mill pointed to recent outages in their wards as evidence that the city's existing system is strained. "If we're struggling now to meet the current demand, we're going to add more housing on top of that, which is going to have greater demand, and you're going to add industrial uses like data centers or warehousing on top of that," Falcone said. "It just comes down to — irrespective if someone supports the land use or not — something's got to give." Mill said data centers should be a "nonstarter" in Riverside until the city completes a second connection to the statewide grid. The proposed permanent ordinance would also seek to prevent developers from classifying a data center as an accessory to another use, such as a workforce-training facility. Falcone's initial language proposed classifying a facility as a data center when more than 50% of its primary operations involve artificial intelligence computing, cloud computing, centralized data storage, server operations or similar functions. Land Use Committee Chair Clarissa Cervantes questioned whether that threshold could create a loophole, allowing a facility to devote slightly less than half of its operations to data-center functions and avoid the prohibition. Falcone said he was open to changing the threshold. "We need to figure out a way to define it," Falcone said. "That's because that effort is to close some of those loopholes." Cervantes suggested that the eventual definition could instead consider a project's electricity and water use. She also proposed explicitly including "server farms" and examining how existing warehouse buildings could be converted into data centers. Community & Economic Development Director Miranda Evans recommended the temporary moratorium, giving the city time to study those questions and prepare clear definitions for the Planning Commission and City Council. "The more clarity and direction that staff has from you as a committee, from the council, the better," Evans said. Most public commenters Monday supported a citywide ban, citing Riverside's limited electrical capacity, air quality and the potential consumption of water and land. Two speakers urged the committee to study the industry rather than adopt a blanket prohibition, arguing that data centers vary in size, technology and resource use. Ward 3 resident Keith Nelson said city operations and the meeting itself rely on data center infrastructure. He also questioned adopting a citywide ban without a specific project to evaluate. "I think it's extraordinary irony that in discussing a ban on data centers in this room, this meeting is being streamed, recorded and distributed using data center infrastructure," Nelson said. "The computers and cloud applications in front of you depend on data centers. Police, fire, emergency, cybersecurity, and virtually every modern operation depends on it. Data centers are critical infrastructure for the economy and increasing our national security. Yet, before Riverside even has a data center on the table, we're discussing a ban." Herb Grabell, a Southern California real estate adviser, said the public debate often focuses on large developments while overlooking smaller facilities and newer cooling technology. "One size does not fit all," Grabell said. "I would implore that the council take a breath and do a bigger study on this before you do any type of moratoriums or any bans. Study this, look at all sides of this." The data center debate accelerated after a proposed city partnership with the Institute for Veterans & Emerging Technology Skills (iVETS) and StemWorx Inc. included the potential development of a data center during its second phase. That proposal, which was framed around technology training and employment for veterans, [was removed from the City Council's Aug. 11 agenda](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/council-approves-veterans-tech-training-deal-with-data-center-piece-scrapped/). Its first phase was later separated from the data center concept to involve only a training lab in existing office space, with no new construction, utility infrastructure or land-use entitlements. Falcone said he had already been developing the ban, but the inclusion of a data center in the partnership accelerated his work. The permanent policy will return to the Land Use Committee after staff develops a definition of data centers. It would then proceed to the Planning Commission before going to the full City Council for a final decision.