Calexico, CA — permanent citywide data center ban (2026)
Calexico, California — City Council Votes 3-0 on September 16, 2026 to Adopt an Ordinance Making Data Centers a PROHIBITED Land Use Citywide, Adding Article XII to Chapter 17.11 of the Municipal Code With Purpose, Definition, Prohibition, Exemption and Enforcement Sections, Effective 30 Days After Adoption — the First Permanent Ban in Imperial County
Calexico, CA · Calexico, Cal., Ordinance adding Calexico Mun. Code ch. 17.11, art. XII (adopted Sept. 16, 2026, effective 30 days thereafter)
- Status
- Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Takes effect
- October 16, 2026
- Applies to
- Any person or entity seeking to establish a data center within the City of Calexico; city planning and code enforcement staff administering Chapter 17.11.
- Enforced by
- City of Calexico — code enforcement under Calexico Mun. Code § 17.11.1250
Calexico has made data centers a prohibited land use across the entire city — not a pause, a permanent prohibition. The council adopted the ordinance 3-0 on September 16, 2026 at its second reading, and it takes effect 30 days later. The new Article XII of Chapter 17.11 of the municipal code is built out of five sections: purpose, definition, prohibition, exemption and enforcement. The prohibition section states that data centers are not a permitted land use within the city, and the definition reaches facilities housing networked computer systems for data storage, processing or distribution together with their supporting infrastructure. There is an exemption section, but its contents are not stated in the available reporting and should not be assumed. The city got here in stages: on June 3, 2026 the council directed staff to bring back a possible moratorium; on July 1, 2026 staff recommended an interim urgency ordinance under California Government Code section 65858, the state's emergency land-use pause authority, which bought time to write permanent rules; those rules are this ban. Calexico is the first city in Imperial County to prohibit data centers permanently.
Who is protected: Calexico residents, and the city's land, water and electricity supply, insofar as the prohibition removes data centers as a permissible use anywhere within city limits.
Legal detail
Ordinance adding Article XII to Chapter 17.11 of the Calexico Municipal Code, comprising § 17.11.1210 (Purpose), § 17.11.1220 (Definition), § 17.11.1230 (Prohibition), § 17.11.1240 (Exemption) and § 17.11.1250 (Enforcement). Operative provision: 'Data centers are not a permitted land use within the city.' The definition covers facilities housing networked computer systems for data storage, processing or distribution, including supporting infrastructure. Procedural history: June 3, 2026 — council direction to staff to return with an item on a potential data center moratorium; July 1, 2026 — staff recommendation to adopt an interim urgency ordinance pursuant to Cal. Gov't Code § 65858, establishing a temporary moratorium while long-term land use regulations were evaluated; September 2, 2026 — first reading; September 16, 2026 — second reading and adoption, 3-0, with Mayor Pro Tem Calderon and Council Member Marquez absent. Effective 30 days after adoption (on or about October 16, 2026), the standard California general-law city ordinance effective date.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Calexico, CA |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Stronger |
| Enacted | September 16, 2026 |
| Citation | Calexico, Cal., Ordinance adding Calexico Mun. Code ch. 17.11, art. XII (adopted Sept. 16, 2026, effective 30 days thereafter) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | An enforcement section (§ 17.11.1250) exists; its terms are not stated in the available reporting and are deliberately not inferred here. |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Calexico Enacts Permanent Data Center Ban — Calexico Chronicle |
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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