Coachella halts data centers, drops Stronghold Power deal

NBC Palm Springs: Coachella's city council voted Thursday night to stop all new data center projects for 45 days and to end the city's municipal utility agreement with Stronghold Power, the company behind a large data center proposed for the city's eastern corridor. The votes followed three hours of public comment and months of packed meetings over the project's environmental and health impacts.

The moratorium can stretch to two years while the council works toward what could become a permanent ban. Ending the Stronghold agreement also scraps a proposed municipal utility center that would have delivered energy to the city's east side, and city officials say the termination carries a high probability of litigation at taxpayer expense. Mayor Frank Figueroa said resident support made the call clear: "Time and time again this evening, you heard residents saying we'll stand with you if you terminate this agreement."

The council's next public update on a long-term or permanent ban is set for its July 9 meeting.