Becerra, Alexis
From: Alejandra Gallardo < agallardo@laocbuildingtrades. org> Sent: Monday, September 14, 2026 8:26 AM
To: eComment
Cc: Ernesto Medrano; Andrew Gonzales
Subject: Letter of Support— Santa Ana Data Center
Attachments: SantaAna Data Center_Amezcua.pdf
Importance: High
Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links.
Honorable Mayor Amezcua,
On behalf of Executive Secretary Ernesto Medrano, please find attached a letter of support for the Santa Ana Data Center.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Respectfully,
Alejandra " Alex" Gallardo
Executive Assistant to Executive Secretary Ernesto Medrano LA/ OC Building Trades Council
1626 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026
T: 213- 483- 4222 ext 102 F: 213- 483- 4419
E: agallardo(() laocbuildingtrades. org
BUILUI NG& CONSTE- ON
This email and any attachments may be confidential or legally privileged. If you received this message in error or are not the intended recipient, please destroy the e- mail message and any attachments or copies. 1 Los Angeles/ Orange Counties
Elk
Building and Construction
Trades Council
Affiliated with the Building& Construction Trades Dept., AFL- CIO September 14, 2026
Mayor Valerie Amezcua
20 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Dear Mayor Amezcua,
Residents and constituents have valid concerns about the impact that data center construction will have on their communities. Ensuring local stakeholders and the public are engaged in the development of these facilities at the earliest stages through a transparent process is essential.
Data center projects and the energy systems and infrastructure that support them must be built and operated responsibly with a commitment to high- quality construction, good jobs, strong environmental stewardship, and strong partnerships with the communities they serve. At a time when the nation' s power grid, roads, bridges, schools, and other public infrastructure require significant investment, data center development must strengthen, rather than strain, these systems.
Developers must also invest responsibly in grid infrastructure, including new generation and grid upgrades, to protect ratepayers from bearing the costs of data center projects' energy needs.
We view the following practices as necessary when developing and operating data centers; without them, no further data center development should proceed:
Incorporate strong labor standards from the supply chain through operations and maintenance
Employ local workers and pay at least the prevailing wage Use registered apprentices
Negotiate community benefits agreements with local stakeholders Establish strong safety practices and procure from domestic sources Pay your fair share for the resources used to operate and maintain data centers Mitigate impacts on local air quality, drinking water and water supplies Following these high standards and others is necessary to ensure that projects are built efficiently, safely, and on- or under- budget.
We look forward to working with you to develop strong guardrails that protect communities, workers, and environmental resources.
213) 483- 4222 11626 Beverly Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90026 1 laocbuildingtrades. org In Solidarity,
Ernesto Medrano
Executive Secretary EM: ag/OPEIU# 537/ afl- cio
CC: Mayor Pro Tem David Penaloza
Councilmembers Thai Viet Phan
Councilmember Benjamin Vazquez
Councilmember Jessie Lopez
Councilmember Phil Bacerra
Councilmember Johnathan Ryan Hernandez
2 Becerra, Alexis
From: Bulmaro Vicente < [email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 1:11 PM
To: eComment
Subject: Public Comment CC 9. 15. 26 - Item 32
Attachments: 09.15.26 Chispa Item 32- Letter of Support.pdf Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links.
Hi,
On behalf of Chispa please find our letter of support for Item 32.
In Solidarity,
Boomer
Policy and Political Director I Chispa
e: boomerPchispaoc. org c: 714-747.4271
1505 E 17th Street Suite 117Santa Ana, CA 92705
Chispa is building a political home for young Latinxs in Orange County! Please consider making a donation to help us build our casita. Chispa is a project of Beyond Impact, a 501c4 non- profit organization. 0 .....
ry. M.o ao... F.......... Fom...........
i
September 15, 2026
Mayor Amezcua and Members of the Council
City of SantaAna
20 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Re: SUPPORT - Item 32: Data Center Regulation Item
Dear Mayor Amezcua and Members of the SantaAna City Council, On behalf of Chispa, I write to express our strong support for Item 32, Councilmember Jessie Lopez' srequestdirecting City of SantaAna (City) staff to evaluatethe needfor andpreparea temporary moratorium on the acceptance and processing of new data center use applications while the City studiesappropriate long-term regulations. The City must be proactive rather than reactive. Decisions that could affect our water, electrical infrastructure, environment, public health, and limited land resourcesfor decadesdeservemeaningful public scrutiny.
The rapid growth of artificial intelligence and other technologies is driving increased demand for datacenterinfrastructure. Yet the City' sMunicipal Code doesnot currently define or specifically regulate data centers as a distinct land use. As outlined in the Councilmember requested item, datacenterscanrequire significant amountsof electricity andwater and may createimpacts related to noise, heat, emissions, backup generators, hazardous materials, and fire protection.
Thesefacilities can also consumesubstantial amountsof industrial land while generating relatively modest permanent employment compared with their infrastructure and resource demands.
For a densely populated community like Santa Ana, these questions deserve careful consideration before additional facilities are approved. Our residents deserve to know how much water and electricity these facilities could consume, what environmental and public health impacts they could create, andwhether their economic benefitsjustify the resourcesandland they require.
Importantly, the City hasat least one datacenter or colocation facility currently operating within city limits. We therefore strongly support directing staff to identify the number and location of datacenterscurrently operating in SantaAna, their permitting and approval history, and whether any new applications are pending. Before determining an appropriate long term policy, the City and the public need a clear understanding of what infrastructure already exists and what additional development may be proposed.
A temporary moratorium does not require the City to determine its permanent policy today.
Instead, it gives the City an opportunity to gatherinformation, evaluatepotential impacts, engage residents, and establish thoughtful standards before additional projects move forward.
Other California communities have already taken action to addresstheseconcerns. The City of Coachella adopted a 45- day urgency moratorium on data center development in June 2026 and subsequentlyextendedthe moratorium through June2027 to provide additional time to study the issue. The Coachella City Council has also moved toward permanently prohibiting data center usescitywide. Similarly, Monterey Park hasprohibited data centersthrough both a City Council ordinance and a voter- approved ballot measure, which passed with 86 percent of the vote in June 2026.
These actions demonstrate that Santa Ana is not alone in confronting the significant questions raised by the rapid expansionof data centers. Taking the time to understandtheir potential impacts and develop appropriate safeguards is a responsible approach to long term planning.
We respectfully urge the City Council to support Item 32 and direct staff to evaluatea temporary moratorium, report back on existing and pending data center development, and develop a transparentprocessfor considering appropriatelong-term regulations.
Thank you for your continued commitment to protecting Santa Ana residents and ensuring that development decisionsreflect the long-term needsof our community.
Best,
Bulmaro Vicente,
Policy and Political Director
Becerra, Alexis
From: Thai, Minh
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 3:17 PM
To: Antolin O Cardenas; Hall, Jennifer
Cc: Nunez, Alvaro
Subject: FW: City Council Agenda Item 32 - SCE Resource Letter Attachments: SantaAnaCityCouncil9.15.26.pdf
Tony,
Doing well. Hope you are as well. I am forwarding to City Clerk Jennifer Hall SCE's letter. She will distribute to the City Council for tonight' s meeting.
Thank you.
DMinh
Thai I Assistant City Manager
City of Santa Ana I City Manager' s Office
714. 647. 5200 120 Civic Center Plazal Santa Ana, CA 92701 The mySantaAna mobile app puts the power of the Santa Ana city government in the palm of your hand! The free app allows residents to quickly and easily report issues to the City, access City services, and find news and events.
Download the App:
APP Store
Click here to report an issue directly from the City' s website From: Antolin O Cardenas< TONY. CARDENAS@SCE. COM>
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 1:20 PM
To: Nunez, Alvaro< ANunez@santa- ana. org>
Cc: Thai, Minh < mthai@santa- ana. org>
Subject: City Council Agenda Item 32- SCEResource Letter Attention: This email originated from outside of City of SantaAna. Use caution when opening attachmentsor links.
Alvaro,
I hope all is well. I appreciate the proactive meetings with Minh, Rudy, and their teams as we continue working together to advance the City' s priority projects. Thank you for keeping the lines of communication open and for supporting these valuable discussions.
Attached is a letter regarding tonight' s City Council Agenda Item 32 related to potential policy considerations for data centers. Could your team please share it with the City Council as an informational resource? I hope it may be helpful as the City Council considers the item and evaluates the various perspectives before them. 1 Thank you for your continued partnership.
TONY CARDENAS
Government Relations Manager
Local Public Affairs I Orange County
Southern California Edison
714) 403- 0889 1 Tony. Cardenas( aTsce.com
my forWhat' s hd.
2 EISOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA
EDISON`
September 15, 2026
Santa Ana City Council
20 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92701
RE: Agenda Item 32 - Data Center Development and Related Policies Dear Mayor and Members of the City Council:
On behalf of Southern California Edison ( SCE), I am submitting the following comments regarding Agenda Item 32 regarding data center development and related policies under consideration by the City of Santa Ana. SCE appreciates the City' s interest in better understanding and exploring important issues related to data center development within the community and thanks you for the opportunity to provide comments for the record.
SCE supports the connection of new large- load customers and is committed to ensuring that the costs of necessary grid upgrades are allocated fairly. When planned appropriately, growth driven by new large- load customers can strengthen the electric grid in the surrounding communities and contribute to downward pressure on rates for existing customers.
We encourage all potential large- load customers and the City to engage early and share key project information, including anticipated size, timing, location, and operating profile with SCE as they begin to plan their projects. Early coordination enables us to better assess grid impacts, forecast demand accurately, and identify whether infrastructure upgrades may be needed in the surrounding community. We remain committed to working collaboratively with all large- load customers to support efficient interconnection processes and timely energization.
SCE evaluates new large loads through the California Public Utilities Commission ( CPUC)- required grid and resource planning processes that prioritize reliability, safety, and affordability.
These planning efforts help ensure that new demand is integrated responsibly and in alignment with California' s ambitious clean energy goals. As the City of Santa Ana considers new policy related to large- load customers, SCEremains committed to our ongoing partnership with the City and to serving as a reliable resource on electric infrastructure and energy planning matters.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments. SCE respects the City' s role in weighing a variety of community interests and perspectives and remains committed to continuing our collaborative partnership with the City of Santa Ana as these discussions move forward.
Sincerely,
Tony Cardenas, Government Relations Manager
Southern California Edison - ( 714) 403- 0889
P. O. Box 800
2244 Walnut Grove Avenue
Rosemead, CA 91770
626- 302- 1212