The Imperial Irrigation District, a California public power utility, in December issued a statement following a well-attended community workshop held on December 9 aimed at informing residents about data centers, their growing presence nationally, and their potential implications for local energy systems, water resources, and communities.
The workshop was educational in nature and did not address any specific project. “Instead, it provided foundational information on how data centers operate, what resources they typically require, and how utilities evaluate large-load proposals. Dozens of residents attended, asked questions, and expressed a strong desire for transparency and public involvement in any major development affecting their community,” IID noted.
The District affirmed that these priorities align directly with the IID’s mission to protect ratepayers, safeguard reliability, and conduct thorough, fact-based reviews of large energy users seeking service.
“IID supports economic development that strengthens our region, creates jobs, and respects our shared resources,” said IID Board Chairwoman, Gina Dockstader. “But development must be technically feasible, transparent, and aligned with our responsibility to protect ratepayers from undue risks. Our due diligence is not a barrier—it is a safeguard. We owe that to every customer we serve.”
During the workshop, IID reiterated the following facts to help residents understand the District’s role:
• IID is not a land-use or siting authority. Other jurisdictions, including cities and counties—not IID—decide whether and where data centers may be built. IID does not approve, site, promote, or develop these projects.
• IID’s obligation is nondiscriminatory service paired with rigorous technical review. If a county or a city approves a project within IID’s service territory, the District must evaluate whether it can be reliably served. This includes assessing grid impacts, water and power feasibility, cost recovery, and ensuring that no costs or risks are shifted to existing customers. To date, IID has not received any requests for water service from any data-center proposal, only power.
• Regarding the power requests received to date, IID is evaluating the optimal way to secure a long-term power supply to serve large industrial load.
• IID is conducting strict due diligence through a disciplined, expert-driven strategy. The District has engaged specialists in regulatory policy, data-center planning, and rate design; strengthened internal processes; and benchmarked its standards against leading utilities nationwide. This proactive, structured approach reflects IID’s commitment to safeguarding reliability, affordability, and long-term system integrity.
• IID’s analysis applies this expert-driven approach while addressing the particular characteristics of our region. Our service area is shaped by a unique water-power nexus, challenging geography, drought-related constraints, and a significant share of low-income communities. These factors require a careful, region-tailored evaluation.
• Ratepayer protection is paramount. Any developer must fully fund the infrastructure upgrades their project requires. IID will not expose customers to stranded assets, long-term cost burdens, or system risks.
According to public County documents and media reporting, a private developer has proposed an approximately 330-megawatt data center campus near the City of Imperial, Calif., IID noted.
The proposal includes multiple buildings, on-site backup generation, and significant electric demand.
“Recent public statements have included inaccurate descriptions of IID’s role and review status,” IID said.
To ensure the public has clear, factual information, IID provided the following clarifications:
• IID has not approved or endorsed the project. IID will fulfill its legal obligations. As a public agency, IID processes applications for service it receives in a nondiscriminatory manner, it noted.
• Technical studies do not equal approval. Even where informational interconnection studies may exist, they do not represent feasibility, endorsement, or a commitment to serve power.
• Reliability impacts have not been validated. Public claims that the project poses no grid risk are not based on IID’s findings. “We continue our due diligence in accordance with our policies.”
• Revenue claims attributed to the project have not been reviewed or validated by IID. IID is a cost-of-service public utility and does not evaluate projects based on potential for profit or speculative revenue projections, it noted.
ID acknowledged and said it appreciates State Senator Steve Padilla’s ongoing work to ensure transparency and community protection regarding data centers in Imperial County. “His engagement underscores the importance of public input, full review, and safeguards against unfair cost shifts—principles fully aligned with IID’s mission and the purpose of the December 9 workshop,” the utility said.
“Our community deserves honest information and full involvement regarding any major initiatives of interest like data center proposals,” said Board Member Karin Eugenio. “We will not compromise the reliability of our grid, the affordability of service, or the public’s right to understand how large-scale development could affect them.”
IID said it will continue to:
• Provide clear, factual information to the community.
• Conduct thorough technical and financial review of all large-load proposals.
• Ensure compliance with environmental laws and public-process requirements.
• Protect ratepayers from cost shifts and stranded-asset risks.
It also noted an IID webpage that offers information about data centers,
