IMPERIAL VALLEYDATA CENTER

Imperial Valley Data Center — Explained Simply










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IMPERIAL VALLEY
DATA CENTER

The $10 Billion Project Your Community Already Approved.
Here’s what’s actually happening — and what it means for you.

ourimperialvalley.com · Last updated February 2026

$10B Private investment The largest single private investment in Imperial County’s history — paid by the developer, not taxpayers. 1,688 Union construction jobs IBEW electricians, pipefitters, ironworkers — at $40–$65/hr prevailing wage with full union benefits. $28.75M Per year to schools Annual property tax that flows to Imperial County schools, fire departments, and public services — every single year. $0 Potable water used The cooling system runs entirely on recycled municipal wastewater. Zero Colorado River water.

1 What Is the IVDC?

A Building Full of Computers

950,000 sq ft of servers running 24/7 — the kind that power Google, Netflix, AI assistants, and cloud storage. Every app on your phone lives somewhere physical. This is it.

Its Own Power Supply

A private 330 MW substation — the IVDC brings its own electricity. It doesn’t strain Imperial Valley’s grid. IID’s independent network (separate from the rest of California) makes this possible.

Cooled by Recycled Water

Uses 750,000 gal/day of treated municipal wastewater — the purple-pipe kind. Not a drop from the Colorado River. Not from IID canals. Water that currently goes to waste.

Simple version: It’s a giant warehouse of computers on industrial land the county already zoned for exactly this use. It brings its own power, uses recycled water, and pays billions into the local economy. The only question is whether it gets built.

2 The Water Question — Answered

Water is sacred in the Imperial Valley. The opposition knows that. So let’s look at the actual facts side by side.

Purple pipe = recycled water. California uses this for golf courses, highway medians, and industrial parks statewide. It is not potable water. It is not Colorado River water. The $1.5M for Salton Sea restoration is more than any opposing organization has offered.

3 Jobs — The Real Numbers

🏗 Construction Phase (Multi-Year)

• 1,688 union positions — IBEW, pipefitters, ironworkers, operating engineers
• Wages: $40–$65/hr prevailing wage + benefits
• Full benefit packages: health, pension, training
• Apprenticeship pipeline for Valley workers
• Local supply chain: materials, services, logistics
• One-time $72.5M in sales tax from construction purchases

⚡ Permanent Operations

• 300–500 direct jobs — year-round, not seasonal
• Network engineers, electrical technicians, security
• Facility management and operations roles
• Local contractor relationships (maintenance, services)
• Multiplier effect: restaurants, fuel, housing, retail
• $28.75M/year in property taxes — forever

Wage comparison: IVDC construction vs. typical Imperial County jobs

IBEW Journeyman

$55–65/hr

Pipefitter

$45–55/hr

Equipment Operator

$40–50/hr

Farmworker (avg)

~$16–18/hr

Retail/Service (avg)

~$15–17/hr

“The Valley has produced skilled workers for generations. What it has never had are jobs that pay enough for those workers to stay.”

4 $28.75 Million a Year for Schools

This is the annual, recurring property tax from IVDC — not a one-time grant. Here’s what it looks like in real terms:

442 Teaching positions funded annually at avg. Imperial County salary 14 Full fire engine companies — apparatus, crew, operations, annual cost $72.5M One-time construction sales tax — deferred maintenance, infrastructure

No one blocking this project has said where this money comes from instead. Because there is no answer. Imperial County school districts operate with some of the lowest per-pupil budgets in California. This is the single biggest opportunity in decades to change that equation.

5 Who’s Blocking It — and Why It Doesn’t Hold Up

Click any step to see details.

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Imperial County Board of Supervisors — APPROVED

Ministerial approval on I-2 industrial land. Exactly what the law requires for by-right zoning.

The project site is in unincorporated Imperial County — county jurisdiction, not city. I-2 (heavy industrial) zoning already permits data centers by right. A ministerial approval means: if it meets the code, the county must approve it. It did. They did.

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✗

City of Imperial — FILED LAWSUIT

The city sued to block construction — despite having no jurisdiction over the project site.

The City of Imperial is a separate government from Imperial County. The IVDC site is on county land, outside city limits. Filing suit to block a project on land you don’t govern is the legal equivalent of your neighbor suing over your garage — they have no standing. The city spent taxpayer money filing this.

▾

✓

Superior Court — REJECTED the lawsuit

The court found the city’s arguments “legally insufficient” and upheld the county’s approval.

The Superior Court reviewed the city’s case and dismissed it. The county’s approval was valid. The zoning was correct. The developer followed the law. This isn’t a close call — it was a clear loss for the city on the merits.

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City is NOW APPEALING — with your tax dollars

Despite losing in court, the city is appealing. Every month of appeal = more delay = more economic loss.

City officials are using public funds to continue appealing a case they already lost. They have not explained how this serves Imperial County residents. They have not proposed an alternative that creates a single union job or funds a single classroom.

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⚖

Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed

Developers filed a federal §1983 suit alleging a $83M demand was made to drop opposition — greenmail.

A §1983 civil rights lawsuit is a federal action alleging that officials violated constitutional rights under color of law. The complaint alleges that certain organizations and officials coordinated to demand $83 million as a condition for withdrawing opposition — a practice known as “greenmail.” This is currently in federal court.

▾

The court already ruled. Construction workers are waiting. School districts are waiting. The only thing keeping this project from breaking ground is an appeal that a judge already said lacks merit.

6 The Running Cost of Obstruction

Estimated Economic Loss Since Obstruction Began

Counting from January 1, 2025 · Updates every second

$0 Construction wages not paid $0 School tax revenue foregone $0 Total economic loss

Based on $20M/month in construction wages + $2.4M/month in property tax · $736,000 per day total

7 Common Questions — Honest Answers

“Doesn’t it use Colorado River water?”▼ No. The cooling system uses recycled municipal wastewater — the same purple-pipe infrastructure used in parks and industrial zones across California. It is a closed-loop system. Not a drop comes from the Colorado River, IID canals, or potable water supplies. The 750,000 gal/day figure is recycled water that cities currently discard as waste. “Will the jobs go to Valley residents or outsiders?”▼ Valley workers get priority. The project includes an apprenticeship pipeline for Imperial County workers. Union construction jobs are dispatched through local halls — IBEW electricians, pipefitters, and laborers who live here, shop here, and send their kids to school here. Prevailing wage law requires union-scale pay regardless of residency. “Will it overload our power grid?”▼ No. The IVDC includes its own 330 MW substation. It doesn’t plug into your neighborhood grid — it brings its own. IID’s independent network (not connected to CAISO like the rest of California) has geothermal baseload and solar capacity specifically suited for large industrial loads. “Why is the City of Imperial blocking it if it’s so good?”▼ The city has offered varying explanations — water, environment, jurisdiction. The court already rejected them. The project site is in unincorporated county land — the city has no legal authority over it. Regardless of motive, the practical outcome of their obstruction is that 1,688 union workers stay unemployed and $28.75M/year stays out of our schools. “What’s the $83 million greenmail allegation about?”▼ The developers filed a federal civil rights lawsuit (§1983) alleging that certain organizations and officials demanded $83 million as a condition for dropping their opposition. This practice — threatening legal obstruction unless paid off — is called “greenmail.” The federal case is ongoing. The allegation, if proven, would mean the obstruction was never about water or environment at all. “Is this project environmentally responsible?”▼ Yes, and more so than most. Recycled cooling water. IID grid capable of 100% renewable (geothermal + solar). 862 MWh battery storage on-site. A binding $1.5M commitment to Salton Sea restoration — more than any opposing organization has contributed. Built on industrial land already zoned for heavy use, not agricultural or residential land.

Imperial Valley Deserves More. Your Voice Matters Now.

The county approved it. The court upheld it. The jobs are waiting. The only thing missing is your voice.

✉Write to Your Supervisors
📣Write to City of Imperial
📅Read the Facts

Data sources: Imperial County Board of Supervisors approval records · Imperial County Superior Court filings · IVDC Economic Impact Analysis · IID grid capacity reports

ourimperialvalley.com · For informational and advocacy purposes

OurImperialValley.com

Our Water. Our Jobs. Our Future.

An independent publication dedicated to facts, accountability, and American competitiveness.

Original Article: https://www.ourimperialvalley.com/infographic/