Reps. Sara Jacobs, Scott Peters, Mike Levin, Juan Vargas Announce Bill to Stop Data Center Construction at NAVWAR
Reps. Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Scott Peters (CA-50), Mike Levin (CA-49), and Juan Vargas (CA-52) announced their intentions to introduce legislation to stop the proposed massive commercial data center at NAVWAR from moving forward without local government consultation and approval.
Rep. Sara Jacobs said: “San Diego is a proud home for innovation, but we don’t want a massive unregulated data center in our backyard that skyrockets our utility bills, consumes excessive water, and strains our power grid. This is a bait and switch. We were promised housing, amenities, and public parks, and instead, we could get the state’s largest data center. San Diego has been very clear, from our neighbors to Mayor Gloria to the City Council, in opposing this plan. That’s why we’re working on legislation to prevent construction of this data center at NAVWAR. And I will keep fighting to pass comprehensive legislation to address the everyday harms, catastrophic risks, and broader societal impacts of AI.”
Rep. Scott Peters said: “San Diego’s housing crisis represents the biggest barrier to our economic growth and prosperity. For years, I’ve said the NAVWAR campus is one of our best opportunities to build housing at scale, with direct access to the highway and transit. A data center here – that has not explained how it would benefit the community, build more housing, or lower energy bills – would be a major missed opportunity to do that. Right now, it does nothing for the surrounding neighborhood and takes away land we urgently need for homes and other community-serving uses. What happens to the NAVWAR campus should be up to our constituents, and until we get more information on the specific plans and path forward for the site, our bill ensures this site can be used for what San Diegans actually need and want.”
“San Diegans should not have to pay higher electricity costs and bear the environmental impacts of a data center pushed by the Trump Administration without their input,” said Rep. Levin. “The proposal to build a data center on San Diego’s NAVWAR site is especially concerning because local elected officials did not have a seat at the table when the project was chosen, even though their communities will be most directly impacted by the decision. This land is also a prime location for housing development, so choosing a data center instead would forgo a significant opportunity to expand housing. I thank Reps. Jacobs and Peters for their partnership on this important effort so that we continue to put our communities and public lands first before private interests.”
Rep. Juan Vargas said: “Communities deserve to know what is being built next door so they have the opportunity to make their voices heard. People were promised housing development, public parks, and more in this location. The community cannot be left in the dark while a data center is built instead. Residents and local government should have a say in what happens to the NAVWAR campus. Full stop.”
Background: Rep. Sara Jacobs has been a leader in AI safety throughout her tenure in Congress, serving on the House Bipartisan Task Force on Artificial Intelligence last term and as vice chair of the New Democrat Coalition AI Working Group. She’s introduced several bills to address the everyday harms and catastrophic risks posed by AI, including the Sectoral AI Governance Act, the bipartisan AI Foundation Model Transparency Act, the bipartisan Economy of the Future Commission Act, the bipartisan ATOMIC Act, the AI Tax and Work Protection Act, and more. She’s also passed legislation to strengthen oversight and accountability of the Pentagon’s use of AI.
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