A 45-day moratorium banning AI Data Center development was passed through HP city council in the month of October.
On October 13, South East Los Angeles (SELA) residents partnered with the non-profit organization Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) to protest outside HP city council, and encourage the passing of Ordinance No. 2026-XX.
Across LA County, Data Centers have been in development since 2025, with infrastructure needing to meet the growing demand of AI.
As of 2026, there are 73 data centers across Los Angeles. In SELA, there are two major facilities located in the area of Vernon, the Prime Data Centers (LAX01-01) and the Goodman Group LAX02. The Prime Data Center LAX01 was actually one of the first developers within LA.
For environmental justice groups like CBE, the rapid development of AI Data centers sparks concern for residents’ quality of life.
Especially since, AI Data Centers:
- Consume as much energy as 100,000 households
- Consume up to 300,000 gallons of water per day for mid-sized facilities
- Increase regional air pollution leading to tens of millions dollars in annual health damages
- Emit high and low frequency sounds up to 65 decibels, which can cause an increase in stress and blood pressure for residents nearby
“…this is a common trend that we see happening in communities that are predominantly low income and people of color…these communities are already exposed to high levels of toxic facilities. So to add on data centers on top of that is.. putting people at more harm to develop health risks,”explains Kimberly Castro, CBE’s Youth Organizer, with a B.S. in Environmental Studies.
Multiple cities across California have implemented these 45-day zoning bans that establish new and updated regulations regarding Data Centers. These cities are found across LA County, La Costa County, and Imperial County.
As of now, HP is the second city in SELA and the fifth city in LA County to impose a temporary ban. In SELA specifically, earlier this year, the city of Cudahy passed Urgency Ordinance No.768.
Ordinance No. 768, was similar to Ordinance No. 2026-XX HP passed in the month of October. It created a 45-day ban of processing and accepting AI Data Center development. During these 45 days, the city of Cudahy developed new zoning regulations and studied environmental, health, and welfare impacts of industrialization of Data Centers.
Following the expiration of Ordinance No 768, the City of Cudahy implemented Ordinance No. 771, under “Resolution No. 2026-01,” which initiated the Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment (“ZOTA”).
Such Ordinance, modified Title 20 (Zoning Code) of Cudahy Municipal Code, which permitted any zone usage of development not specifically identified. Under this code, data centers were un-defined, and legally allowed to develop on zoning near Cudahy.
Ordinance No. 771 defined AI Data Centers as harmful development under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines, allowing the complete ban of AI Data Center development within Cudahy city boundaries.
In HP, residents hope the city council pushes for a permanent zoning ban of AI Data centers similarly to Cudahy. However, the main goal is to create a permanent zoning ban across all LA County.
“Cudahy was the first city in Southeast LA to introduce the 45-day ban… at Huntington Park… we’re hoping…the 45-day temporary ban passes and that they see [the] support … so that they make it a permanent ban…the goal here is to pass these temporary moratoriums until the greater Los Angeles County passes one themselves, and not just a temporary one, but a permanent one,” says Kimberly Castro.
Written by Monserrath Bucio Mondragon, Editor-in-Chief