Data Centers in California
At least 114 data centers have been tracked across California — the 4th state by data-center buildout in the country by capacity.
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Every one of those 114 data centers draws power and water from the same grid you rely on — reshaping where California rates, land use, and water go, whether or not anyone put it to a vote. Here’s what that means, and what you can do about it.
Statewide, an industry analysis counts about 320 operational and 36 planned or under‑construction data centers in California, plus an estimated $4 million in projected 10‑year tax revenue — the map below shows the 114 we’ve pinned so far, so help us map the rest. Statewide totals: American Edge Project & TECNA, Dec 2025.
On the agenda: Riversideca Land Use Committee — data center (Sep 14)
Monday, September 14 — in 3 days · The full record → · Read the agenda ↗
Riverside, CA — Land Use Committee Meeting
Monday, September 14 — in 3 days · The full record → · Details at the source ↗
On the agenda: Ventura meeting — Data Center (Sep 15)
Tuesday, September 15 — in 4 days · The full record → · Read the agenda ↗
- Sep 10, 2026 Cudahy — Parks & Environmental Justice Commission Sep 10, 2026
- Sep 10, 2026 On the agenda: Cudahy meeting — Data Center (Sep 10)
- Sep 9, 2026 On the agenda: San Jose Joint Meeting for the Rules and Open Government Committee and Committee of the Whole — data center (Sep 9)
- Sep 3, 2026 On the agenda: Fresno City Council — Data Center (Sep 3)
Every record for this area on the Docket → · nothing is ever deleted.
No new reports near California in the last 30 days — checked hourly, last checked Sep 11, 15:14 UTC. Cameras only get on the map when someone looks: be the one.
📷 12 new license plate readers just reported around Bakersfield, CA. Newly mapped by volunteers — see what's watching. #ALPR #Surveillance #Bakersfield
📷 17 new license plate readers just reported around Murrieta, CA. Newly mapped by volunteers — see what's watching. #ALPR #Surveillance #Murrieta
What these facilities actually do
Hyperscale data centers aren’t ordinary warehouses. Each one draws megawatts of power and millions of gallons of water, and locks in decades of tax abatements — deals routinely approved with little public scrutiny. Across California, that’s 114 facilities quietly reshaping the grid, water table, and tax base. See how the buildout works and where the power and water go.
How California compares
California ranks #4 of 52 states and territories by tracked data-center capacity — among the biggest buildouts in the nation. Nationwide, we have tracked over 2,000 megawatts and counting. Nearby by camera count: Ohio (89), Oregon (133), Texas (220), Washington (72).
The latest from California
- California 2026 legislative season: Data centers, grid reliability and clean energy
- Big tech spends big to fight California data center regulations
- California lawmakers pass data center ratepayer protection bills, send to governor for approval
- "SV10" at Equinix Data Center in San Jose, California on the 1st (local time). After entering throug..
- California Judge Orders Full Environmental Review of 330 MW Data Center
On camera in California — each opens right here on GridWatch:
All data-center news → · All video & feeds →
What you can do in California
You don’t have to accept it — and you don’t have to be anti-growth to demand accountability. File a public records request to learn a project’s power draw, water use, and abatement terms, speak up at a city-council meeting, and see the full playbook on our Take Action page.
Not sure what one looks like? See photographs of installed cameras before you go looking.
DeFlock SF — San Francisco, California
Fighting the dragnet in the city where police were caught illegally sharing plate data with federal agencies.
Join the fight ↗Pasadena Privacy (DeFlock Pasadena) — Pasadena, California
Neighborhood-level privacy organizing in the San Gabriel Valley.
Join the fight ↗DeFlock Burbank — Burbank, California
Community privacy campaign taking the camera question to Burbank city hall.
Join the fight ↗DeFlock Monterey — Monterey County, California
Mapping license plate surveillance across Monterey County.
Join the fight ↗DeFlock Ventura — Ventura County, California
Ventura County residents pushing back on automated plate readers.
Join the fight ↗DeFlock Nevada County — Nevada County, California
“Who is watching?” — rural Sierra foothills residents asking the question their supervisors didn’t.
Join the fight ↗Data centers by city in California
We track 33 California cities and towns with tracked data centers — each with its own local report:
Data centers by county in California
15 California counties have at least one reported camera. Tap any county for its full local report.
Counts come from the open-source DeFlock project’s volunteer reports and update as new cameras are mapped. A county not listed has no reported cameras yet — not necessarily none. Spot one? Report it.