Fresno has not banned data centers yet, but the city is taking steps toward a 10-year prohibition.
The Fresno City Council voted 7-0 on Thursday, September 3, 2026, to begin the process of amending the city’s municipal code to prohibit AI and cloud data centers for 10 years.
The vote does not immediately put a ban into effect. Instead, it directs city staff to develop language that would clearly define data centers and establish them as a prohibited land use.
According to city staff, the process could take approximately four to eight months before a final prohibition could take effect. The proposal will go through additional reviews, including the Airport Land Use Commission and Planning Commission, before returning to the City Council.
Why Is Fresno Considering a Data Center Ban?
Councilmember Nick Richardson introduced the proposed ban, arguing that data centers may not make sense for the Central Valley because of the region’s ongoing water challenges.
Mayor Jerry Dyer joined Richardson as a co-sponsor of the proposal. Dyer also raised concerns about the amount of land data centers can occupy compared with the number of permanent jobs they may create.
Richardson said his goal is not to discourage businesses from developing in Fresno. Instead, he argued that uncertainty surrounding potential data center development could make it more difficult for other businesses to consider moving to or expanding in the city.
Fresno Does Not Currently Have a Specific Data Center Ban
One important distinction is that data centers are not currently allowed under Fresno’s municipal code, according to city officials.
However, because the code does not specifically prohibit them, the city’s planning director has discretion when determining how land uses that are not expressly listed in the code should be handled.
That has raised concerns among council members who want a clear prohibition rather than relying on existing land-use rules.
Council Members Raise Questions About the Size of Data Centers
Councilmember Annalisa Perea questioned whether the proposed language could leave room for smaller data centers to be developed.
During the discussion, examples included facilities using less than 2 megawatts of energy or occupying less than 20,000 square feet.
Planning Director Jennifer Clark clarified that those figures are typical ways data centers may be characterized but would not necessarily mean that facilities below those thresholds would automatically be permitted.
The city will need to develop specific language defining what facilities would fall under the proposed prohibition.
Concerns About Future Development in Southeast Fresno
Councilmembers Miguel Arias and Brandon Vang requested amendments designed to make the proposed prohibition apply to current city land as well as land that could be annexed into Fresno in the future.
Their concerns included the possibility of data center development in areas associated with the proposed southeast Fresno development, including South SEDA.
Arias also requested that city staff notify the City Council about any application involving a data center, including certain auxiliary or secondary data-storage uses.
City Planning Director Jennifer Clark said there are currently no data center applications proposed in Fresno.
Public Concerns Over Water, Noise and Pollution
Several members of the public supported the council’s decision to begin the process.
Speakers, including representatives of an environmental organization, a doctor, youth advocacy groups and council candidate Ariana Martinez Lott, raised concerns about potential water consumption, noise, air pollution and public health impacts associated with data centers.
Other public comments focused on transparency and potential relationships between city officials and data center companies.
What Happens Next?
The Planning Department will now develop the proposed municipal code amendment based on Thursday’s resolution.
The proposal will then move through additional reviews, including the Airport Land Use Commission and Planning Commission, before returning to the City Council.
The timeline could range from four to eight months, depending in part on whether additional environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA, is required.
Planning Director Clark said it is possible the proposal could return to the City Council before the end of 2026.
Fresno’s Data Center Debate Is Just Beginning
For now, Fresno has not enacted a 10-year data center ban.
The 7-0 vote begins the formal process of determining whether the city should prohibit AI and cloud data centers and exactly how such a prohibition would be written.
The debate also raises a broader question for Fresno: How should the city balance new technology and economic development with concerns about water, land use, environmental impacts and long-term community needs?
The answer could shape Fresno’s development policy for years to come.
