This million-square-foot data center would be the biggest in the state. How local leaders are challenging it.

Local leaders in rural Imperial County are up in arms over plans for a massive million-square-foot data center, filing lawsuits and proposing new laws to stop it. They argue it will bring environmental hazards and threaten their way of life. This opposition highlights broader concerns about the environmental and social impacts of tech infrastructure expansion, raising questions about regulation and community rights in the face of big tech ambitions. The battle could set a precedent for similar developments across the state.