The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutFW_ STATEMENT REQMayor and Council, Looks like you were all included on this email request along with other city officials. For your consideration, I would offer the following. Since the City Council has not taken a formal position, I would be hesitant to respond. However, you may certainly respond as an individual Council Member. Should you chose to do so, please be cognizant of making any commitments that might be in conflict with the Brown Act. For your information, our zoning code does not allow them. A zoning code amendment would be required to define such a use, and include specific regulations to either permit them, or outright prohibit them. The energy and water use demands that data centers generate have triggered resident concerns across the nation, not just here in the San Gabriel Valley. The CA Legislature also appears concerned about potential utility cost shifting to residents. There is various Legislation currently being proposed to protect ratepayers from such consequences. A statewide study is anticipated to be prepared by January 1, 2027 on how data centers affect electric utility rates and grid demand has been mandated under SB 57 which was signed into law last year. Hope that helps. Daniel Fox | City Manager City of Diamond Bar 909.839.7011 ________________________________ From: Joshua Silla <sjllasilla@gmail.com <mailto:sjllasilla@gmail.com> > Sent: Monday, May 4, 2026 8:00:00 AM To: rcajulis@walnutca.gov <mailto:rcajulis@walnutca.gov> <rcajulis@walnutca.gov <mailto:rcajulis@walnutca.gov> >; awu@walnutca.gov <mailto:awu@walnutca.gov> <awu@walnutca.gov <mailto:awu@walnutca.g ov> >; lfreedman@walnutca.gov <mailto:lfreedman@walnutca.gov> <lfreedman@walnutca.gov <mailto:lfreedman@walnutca.gov> >; kmlaw@walnutca.gov <mailto:kmlaw@walnutca.gov> <kmlaw@walnutca.gov <mailto:kmlaw@walnutca.gov> >; ntragarz@walnutca.gov <mailto:ntragarz@walnutca.gov> <ntragarz@walnutca.gov <mailto:ntragarz@walnutca.gov> >; stye@diamondbarca.gov <mailto:stye@diamondbarca.gov> <stye@diamondbarca.gov <mailto:stye@diamondbarca.gov> >; rlow@diamondbarca.gov <mailto:rlow@diamondbarca.gov> <rlow@diamondbarca.gov <mailto:rlow@diamondbarca.gov> >; achou@diamondbarca.gov <mailto:achou@diamondbarca.gov> <achou@diamondbarca.gov <mailto:achou@diamondbarca.gov> >; sliu@diamondbarca.gov <mailto:sliu@diamondbarca.gov> <sliu@diamondbarca.gov <mailto:sliu@diamondbarca.gov > >; cteng@diamondbarca.gov <mailto:cteng@diamondbarca.gov> <cteng@diamondbarca.gov <mailto:cteng@diamondbarca.gov> > Subject: STATEMENT REQ CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders. Good morning, all! My name is Joshua Silla, I'm a reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and I cover technology developments in and around the San Gabriel Valley. I'm currently reporting on a story about large public concern about emerging BESS and data center technology in the City of Industry. I wanted to request a statement from you as council members ahead of our Tuesday 12 p.m. deadline! This past Saturday, a rally was held at Schabarum Park, where community organizers talked about how nearby BESS facility projects, like the Covina Reliability Project <https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com /url?a=https%3a%2f%2famericas.rwe.com%2four-energy%2fstorage%2fstorage-projects-and-locations%2fcovina-battery-storage%2f&c=E,1,96V1sw3QLm3r6mjMm-Zgd1aZ_pKRps13SZkGEopjOxaLH9rngPKDTBK4tFou3UHx0uCIH1_ 8qS5dvCfz-MU549oNaNmsKjKWHwongqK3A4WAYDcCmb_iJ2KA3YxO&typo=1> , as well as potential data center projects have raised various safety concerns. Since January, organizers and residents have escalated efforts against these developments -- their most recent being a campaign to get school districts, county officials and local municipalities to pass resolutions decidedly against any sort of BESS or data center development in the area, as typically, BESS facilities are used to support the massive energy consumption needed to operate a data center. I wanted to request a statement about your response to this past Saturday's action -- would you consider passing a resolution against the development of a BESS facility or a data center? Have residents or community members approached you in the past about their concerns related to BESS facilities and data centers? Do you feel that BESS facilities or data centers are a palpable interest or area of concern, or would this be one of the first times you'd heard of either tech? Lastly, should school districts within and around your municipality pass a resolution against BESS/data center development, would that influence your decision in proposing a potential resolution against them? Again, my deadline is Tuesday, 12 p.m.! I look forward to your response! Best, Joshua Silla potential environmental and public safety risks associated with large-scale battery storage facilities, this project warrants comprehensive environmental review under CEQA rather than approval through an exemption or limited review process. CEQA does not permit public agencies to avoid environmental review by treating related actions as separate projects. Under CEQA Guidelines §§15378 and 15165, dividing a broader development strategy into multiple approvals may constitute unlawful piecemealing. The Marici BESS proposal, the Title 17 zoning amendments, and the anticipated data center developments appear to be components of a broader strategy to concentrate energy-intensive industrial infrastructure within the City of Industry. These actions should therefore be evaluated together through a comprehensive environmental review, including a cumulative impacts analysis pursuant to CEQA Guidelines §15130. Projects of this magnitude, particularly those involving large battery storage facilities, require broad public engagement, transparency, and careful environmental review. The current process does not meet those expectations. California law increasingly recognizes the importance of environmental justice in land-use decisions. Government Code §65302(h)(1), along with legislation such as AB 617, reflects the State’s policy that communities already facing cumulative environmental burdens should not be subjected to additional concentrations of pollution and industrial risk. Against this backdrop, it is deeply concerning that the City of Industry continues to make regional land-use decisions with substantial environmental consequences while operating under a governance structure with a very limited residential population and therefore limited direct accountability to the surrounding communities that will bear many of the impacts. For these reasons, I respectfully request that no approvals related to these projects move forward until the following conditions are met: * Preparation of a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR) evaluating fire risk, environmental impacts, public safety, and cumulative impacts of all related projects. * Expanded public notification to residents across all potentially affected communities, not only those within a 300-foot radius. * Public meetings that allow residents from surrounding cities to review project information and provide meaningful public input. Our communities care deeply about protecting our families, our environment, and our regional parks and wildlife areas. Decisions that affect public safety, air quality, and environmental resources must be made with full transparency and with meaningful participation from the communities that will bear the impacts. We respectfully urge decision-makers to listen to the voices of residents throughout Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights, La Puente, Walnut, Diamond Bar, and neighboring communities, and to halt and ban these projects until these concerns are fully addressed. Please include this correspondence in the official administrative record for the Puente Hills Mall data center proposal, the Marici BESS project, and any related zoning amendments or approvals. Thank you for your time and consideration, Michelle Yu Hacienda Heights