POWAY, Calif. (KGTV) — Poway Mayor Steve Vaus is pushing to ban standalone artificial intelligence data centers from the city, calling them a threat to the community's energy supply, water resources, and character — and he wants the prohibition in place before any company comes knocking.
Vaus said he has not yet been approached by any companies about building a commercial AI data center in Poway, but said he does not want to wait for that to happen before making his position clear.
"It's a simple decision for us. We look for innovative companies that will come and strengthen our community, and AI standalone data center is the opposite of that," Vaus said. "We don't want a business that's going to decimate the city."
Poway, a city in San Diego County known by its motto "The City in the Country," has long marketed itself as a family-friendly community — one that has plenty of open space and room for growth.
Vaus said not every kind of development belongs there.
He said a single large data center would place enormous strain on the city's resources — without delivering the high-paying jobs or economic benefits Poway is looking for.
"One good sized data center in Poway would take as much energy as all of the homes in Poway. That's going to drive the cost of electricity up. It's not a good thing. It's a land use question for us," Vaus said.
Beyond energy, Vaus said AI data centers also bring significant demands for water and land.
Rather than regulate these data centers, Vaus and Councilmember Anita Edmondson drafted a letter recommending the city to ban them outright. Poway would be the first city in San Diego County to do so, and one of the first in California.
Vaus said the issue has broad political appeal.
"The New York Times said this is the most bipartisan issue since beer. I agree," Vaus said.
The first steps toward a ban are expected to come at Tuesday's City Council meeting. Vaus said he is confident the vote will go his way.
"I think it's going to be a slam dunk. I believe it'll be unanimous, and the city attorney in short order will bring back an ordinance, and it'll be the law in Poway," Vaus said.
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