At its July 28 meeting, the Brentwood City Council agreed to have city staff look into evaluating the prohibition of data centers.
The future agenda item request was brought forward in June as a joint effort by councilmembers Faye Maloney and Jovita Mendoza after seeing what was occurring in the City of Oakley, City of Pittsburg and around the country.
Councilmember Faye Maloney said the initial request was to look at preparing an ordinance prohibiting the establishment, construction, expansion or operation of new data center facilities within our city limits and return to us with the findings.
She said she would like staff to look at a policy that would classify data centers by measurable land uses.
“When they look at a policy like this, to classify data centers by measurable land use impact instead of identifying them by whatever they’re called, whether AI or cloud-based data centers because there are so many different kinds,” explained Maloney.
She continued.
“I would like to define the electrical demand using a project’s maximum planned or contracted electrical capacity not just the simple consumption as well as the water usage for a data center,” stated Maloney.
She added she learned that many businesses have server rooms that support hospitals and are small – like hospitals – she didn’t have an issue with, but if you are talking about large scale AI centers that are cloud-based centers that take up electricity and water causing harm to the community then she had an issue.
“We have expressed interest in preserving land for uses that provide greater community benefit,” said Maloney. “I would like it to be done including housing, parks, retail, office space, light industrial uses and I would also like staff to address commercial along with the commercial or largecale AI computing server operations but also server operations within homes, garages and other residential properties while distinguishing these uses from normal residential computer use. Kind of similar to the telephone pole 30 or the phone towers that people basically rent on other people’s properties and pay homeowners. There is that kind of operation going like within data centers as well, like if certain neighborhoods are allowed to have certain data centers within like their garages or sheds or whatever. So, if we could look at that as well.”
Councilmember Jovita Mendoza shared that along with data centers and energy, it includes battery storage – noting Tracy recently turned down a battery storage facility due to water and energy usage.
She cautioned that this policy is not for Tesla wall batteries but was interested in the data centers paying people to have one in their home—or facilities with battery after battery after battery.
Mayor Susannah Meyer said she would be happy to move this conversation forward as it’s a “hot topic” that the public is concerned about it.
The council unanimously agreed to direct staff to develop a policy regarding data centers and high-density AI computing within the city—including classifications, zoning, permitting requirements, and restrictions based on facility sizes, electrical demand, water use, noise, public safety and impacts on surrounding properties and infrastructure along with battery storage. Staff is also being asked to address prohibition of commercial or large scale AI computing data centers, and address solicited server operations within homes, garages or other residential properties while distinguishing these users from normal residential computer use.
Staff will return at a future date with recommended definitions, thresholds, regulations, prohibitions while reviewing any other policies in surrounding cities.
Previous/Related
- Aug 4, 2026 – Video: Pittsburg Study Session on Data Centers
- July 20, 2026 – Oakley to Host Work Session on Data Centers
- June 24, 2026 – Brentwood to Look at Ordinance Prohibiting Data Centers
