FAQs
What is the unincorporated county?
The unincorporated county is the part of San Diego County that is outside of city limits and tribal lands.
What are data centers?
Data centers are facilities that contain computer equipment to process, store, and manage large amounts of data. Data centers are increasingly used to power online activities and services like websites, cloud storage, and artificial intelligence (AI).
Does the County currently permit data centers?
The County does not currently have specific regulations for data centers, but they could be permitted under current regulations. Large-scale data centers would be classified in the County's Zoning Ordinance as Major Impact Services and Utilities, requiring a Major Use Permit, which may include environmental review, public notification, and public hearings.
What was the Board direction on data centers?
The Board directed a report with two goals: 1) Study the potential impacts of large-scale data centers that power artificial intelligence (AI) on the unincorporated county and 2) Develop options to reduce these impacts. This information will be summarized to the Board in a memo. If the Board decides to take further action after reading the memo, an additional public hearing would be required.