The City of Pittsburg will host a virtual community workshop later this month to answer residents’ questions and provide information about proposed data center development in the city.
The online workshop is scheduled for Thursday, July 30, at 6 p.m. and will give residents an opportunity to learn about the city’s policies, procedures and current data center projects, as well as ask questions directly to city staff.
According to the city, residents are encouraged to submit questions in advance to datacenters@pittsburgca.gov to help ensure all topics are addressed during the meeting.
“After hearing from many concerned residents, it is clear we need to have a deeper conversation with our community about data center development in Pittsburg,” Councilmember Killings said. “City Council has asked the City Manager and Staff to host a workshop educating residents on the City’s data center development policies, procedures and projects, and providing an opportunity for our community to receive answers to their questions.”
City Manager Darin Gale said residents have expressed concerns about issues including water use, energy demand, noise and long-term neighborhood impacts.
“Residents have raised thoughtful questions about water, energy, noise, and long-term neighborhood impacts, and the City takes them seriously,” Gale said. “I appreciate the Council’s direction and look forward to supporting this engagement effort on behalf of the Council and our community.”
The city has also updated its data center project webpage and is considering additional community outreach efforts to keep residents informed about future projects and their potential impacts. City staff are expected to provide an update to the City Council during its regular meeting on Aug. 3. Residents can join the virtual workshop via Zoom at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81157292257. The workshop will be recorded and posted on the city’s website for those unable to attend live.
There was a Data Center in Pittsburg at the USS-POSCO facility, which shut down a few years ago. It didn’t use any water, but it did require cooling systems operating 24/7. There was a backup generator there. What’s interesting is the facility is not far from the waterfront if water was needed, but that’s also an issue, as the basement for the building was under the water table and could flood. There’s a third party solar farm next to the property and a power plant that supplied both USS-POSCO and Dow Chemical. The building and insfrastructure are old and need updating for it to be viable.
… good points JM …. they could also build a radiator system for cooling and have it closed loop with solar powering fans blowing through the radiators… maybe they should hire us as consultants 🙂
They know how to do this… They have been doing it for years and it won’t require anywhere near the requirements as a power plant “not even remotely close”. All cooling is done through a closed loop chiller system with cooling towers/heat exchangers. As for power…if the State gov wants you to use electric cars and gas appliances are banned turning to all electric then we obviously have enough. So it is only the argument of the unknown. Being on the suspicious side I think the question would be “why do we suddenly need thousands of data centers” and please do not recite the headlines as “with the new AI we need these” This is infrastructure for something coming beyond what we think AI is.
Calling what Steel mill had a “data center”, across from Engineering Dept,
is being generous. Each operating division had it’s own data center with
robust UPS battery backup systems. Disturbing ground on that property
is NOT advisable.
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An after major CRAP county, state, and the green fantasy police pulled,
using the plant as their own private deep pockets ATM over the years, seriously
doubt they want any additional dealings with any of them. They’ve eternally
poisoned the well and KILLED thru greed, a proven generator of large tax revenues.
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Citizens of Pittsburg need to realize data center has a giant advantage over
building more small homes on postage sized lots, enables developer to make
large money then skip town.
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Too many cities have fallen into that PONZI SCHEME of “more houses will
save the city”. South east antioch is great example, of failure to keep a city
from falling deeper down the hole of tax revenue versus city dollar outflows.
During one economic downturn city laid off Sworn POLICE OFFICERS.
Which very negatively affected city and quality of life for it’s citizens.
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Downside of housing, every parcel must have city services. Those services
are at an ever increasing cost (city employee costs) while parcel taxes can
barely cover inflation cost. Services, contracted landscaping, road repair,
Police cost, etc.
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Data Center would cost city MUCH, Much, much less that building more houses.
Can you elaborate on the upside of paving over livable land with data centers that are run via automation with few jobs helps the people of Pittsburg rather than housing with property taxes and consumers?
The Financial Impact on Electricity Rates
Short term increase may happen for some AI build out of infrastructure
which would likely cancel out after years of billing revenue.
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As a location for a data center, you’d be hard pressed to find a better site.
What is unique about Pittsburg site is it’s being next to a high voltage
transmission corridor. Use mouse to zoom out, shows SEVEN
existing high power transmission line corridor. Cost to connect up
will be minimal.
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An lets phrase it correctly, housing with LIMITED property taxes, while cost
of city services that have to be provided to each parcel continually increase.
Cities all too often get tunnel vision chasing that more houses PONZI Scheme
rabbit down the hole toward insolvency.
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Past antioch city councils of did just that, and during economic downturn County
Assessor lowered property valuations, Sworn Police officers if memory
serves were laid off. City still hasn’t recovered.
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Can count on future hearings being packed and would not be surprised if there’s
a crowd with signs outside, opposed .
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Perhaps even a rent a crowd
Definition Rent-a-crowd refers to a group of individuals hired to create the illusion
of popularity and support at public events.
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Can’t SUCK . . . . . MASSIVE PROFIT out of the land, if there’s a data center on it.
Profit for who?
Original G,
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The Concord City Council also believes that they can build their way to prosperity by developing the former CNWS, former USCG and USN military housing property, downtown high-density housing for 22,000+ people, development of housing on the parking lots of both Concord BART Stations, in-fill housing, and ADU development through increased property tax and sales tax revenue, all while reducing parking and increasing traffic, but preaching that traffic won’t be a problem because all of these 60,000+ new residents won’t be owning cars or traveling by car because they’ll only be traveling by walking, biking, busing, and BARTing, while not taking into consideration that the majority of Concord’s sales tax revenue comes from Concord’s auto dealerships, and believing that self-driving cars communicating with “smart” traffic lights and flying cars are the answers to any future traffic and parking problems. Delusional plans for Concord’s future!!!
Taylor, Texas……..a rancher donated land to the city to build a park. Instead, the city sold the property for $10 million for a Data Center!!!
Everyone should take a minute to look up what is happening in Cheyenne, Wyoming with the META Data Center. Wyoming officials are saying that the Data Center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium.
People advocating for the DataCenter likely don’t live in Pittsburg – build it in Walnut Creek. Electric Rates are already high.
The comment about the Data Center at the USS-POSCO site not being a Data Center is an odd statement. The building was the first modernized during the joint venture when POSCO came onboard to work with US Steel Pittburg in the mid to late 80’s. It was originally operated independantly by a third party, before being taken over by UPI IT personnel in the 90’s. It was the only building in the facility with it’s own backup diesel generator, as well as a battery room, both of which were operational when the facility closed. The Data Center was capable of running for days without power, as long as diesel was available. It could run for days on battery if the generator wasn’t running. It originally housed an IBM mainframe on raised floors, in a contained room that was protected by Halon and later Novec 1230 both for the machine room and underneath the floor. There was camera security at every entrance to the building, as well as inside the building, monitoring the equipment. There was also environmental monitoring of the machine room. In later years, servers were operated in the same room as the mainframe. The Data Center was conceived to operate more than just USS-POSCO alone. There was some equipment from Dow there early on, for alarms at their facility. The Data Center was responsible for the business operation. The other locations in the facility were known as “computer rooms” that ran hadware by the Automation department for operating the manufacturing lines. They had battery backup only, that was capable of operating for 1 hour without power. There were no fire systems in most of the computers room and there was no monitoring of any kind. There was a long-running project to upgrade other fire systems outside the Data Center, but the my knowledge only one computer room made it to completion, which was at the PLTCM.
I’m surprised they’re considering the former Pittsburg golf course, which if memory serves is next to housing and a Christmas tree farm. There’s two other locations that could be considered– in Pittsburg or Concord. In Concord, they have the former Naval Weapons Station which is supposed to be a mixed-use project, including a golf course, parks, houses, businesses, etc. The weapon station has been used for autonomous car testing. Unfortunately redeveloping the land been a drawn out process. The biggest concern has been the impact on Highway 4 should housing be built there. In Pittsburg, there’s all the industrial land where UPI and Spiral Pipe are located. Dow, was supposed to close down at some point, but I’m not sure if they ever did. The Pittsburg industrial location already has a solar farm and CalPine energy facility. It’s near the freeway, has railroad access, and is next to the Pittsburg New York Slough. The Spiral Pipe facility which is empty and sits on a huge plot of land, has already gone through an environmental clean up before it was built. It’s basically move in ready. The UPI land is a different situation and would likely need environmental clean up to some degree. There is a water treatment facility on the UPI land which is sitll in operation. The Pittsburg industrial location is owned by US Steel, whom I’m sure would sell it. The benefit of the UPI land is it’s not that close to housing. The Spiral Pipe facility is somewhat near housing, but far enough away, that I’m not sure if you would hear any noise. US Steel also has water rights– although I’m not sure that could be transferred in a sale.
Apple Pie,
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Development of the former CNWS property doesn’t include a golf course. Pittsburg is ready to move now on the data center, while the mixed-use/light industrial areas of the former CNWS aren’t ready to be turned over yet, only a housing area off of Willow Pass Road behind Dana Estates where construction on the project will begin when the land is transferred is currently ready for transfer.
Data centers require three things, land, electricity and water. let’s first talk about electricity. Pg&E generate electricity by wind, solar, hydroelectric dams, nuclear and natural gas. I don’t think they use coal but I could be wrong. Wind and solar are great but cannot provide enough reliable electricity to go it alone. It takes ten years or more to build a nuclear plant and I don’t think any are being planned. Hydroelectric is a no go for obvious reasons. So when PG&E needs to meet demand they use gas. Data centers use diesel generators and natural gas turbines to make up for any power they can’t pull from the grid, if they are on the grid at all. Closed loop cooling systems are very expensive and salt water is too corrosive to be used. The health risks due to the noise are real as are the decline in nearby property value. But the big question is…do we really trust the tech companies? They have a track record of being deceitful, exploitive and greedy. And I think it’s messed up that once again, the ultra wealthy are putting “factories” in low income, disadvantaged communities because they are easy targets. I feel for the city council. They are desperate to bring money to the city. My fear is they are trusting promises made will be promises kept.
2BorKnot2B,
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Some windmills also run on electricity or natural gas to generate electricity when there’s no wind.
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Data centers often use biocides, corrosion inhibitors, and heavy metals such as copper and zinc in the water used for cooling.
Data centers as with most manufacturing use a “CLOSED LOOP” cooling system,
removal of heat caused by their manufacturing processes is accomplished by
removing heat via Flat Plate or Tube HEAT EXCHANGERS.
Transferring closed loop heat to the external loop of cold water.
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Biocide, corrosion inhibitors, etc are held within the closed loop system.
Loop’s hot side liquid and cold side liquid do not intermix, only heat transfers.
Legal question?
The Brown Act or Bagley-Keen act which applies to all local legislative bodies in California, including city councils. States that the public must be given the opportunity to address the legislative body on any agenda item before or during the board’s consideration of the item did this happen prior to the City Council approving the Data Center.
Where can we find documentation Agenda, date and time it was posted. Was it posted 72 hours prior to the meeting in which the data center was approved?
Surging Data Center Growth to Help Lower Energy Costs for PG&E Customers