Imperial Irrigation District large-load (data center) tariff (2026)
Imperial Irrigation District (CA) — Board Adopts Large Load Tariff for Customers Above 20 MW: Infrastructure Cost Recovery, 85% Minimum Charge, Deposits, and Curtail-First Rule (Sept. 15, 2026)
Imperial Irrigation District (Imperial County), CA · Imperial Irrigation District Board, Large Load tariff/rules (approved Sept. 15, 2026)
- Status
- Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Applies to
- Large-load customers above 20 MW in IID territory, mainly data centers
- Enforced by
- Imperial Irrigation District
The Imperial Irrigation District, the public power utility for the Imperial Valley, approved new pricing rules for very large electricity users such as data centers (more than 20 megawatts). These customers must pay for the substations, lines and other upgrades they need. They must pay a monthly minimum of at least 85% of their contracted energy use, put down cash deposits, sign 15-year commitments, and meet renewable energy requirements. When demand spikes, IID can cut their power first. The aim is to keep ordinary ratepayers from covering data-center costs.
Who is protected: IID electric ratepayers in the Imperial Valley (and parts of Riverside County), shielded from paying for large-load infrastructure and stranded costs
Legal detail
IID Board of Directors, unanimous vote, Tuesday Sept. 15, 2026 (KPBS article published Sept. 16): large-load rules for customers above 20 MW. Terms per KPBS: (1) the customer pays for infrastructure upgrades (substations, distribution, transmission); (2) a minimum monthly charge of at least 85% of contracted energy usage, with no fixed dollar figure; (3) a 15-year service commitment; (4) a cash deposit; (5) renewable procurement obligations; (6) IID may curtail these customers first when demand surges. Context: Sebastian Rucci's proposed data center complex in the City of Imperial (see Imperial CA Data Center Moratorium and the Imperial County litigation entries). The effective date was not reported. IID is a special district (irrigation and power), entered at county level with _body_type utility.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Imperial Irrigation District (Imperial County), CA |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | September 15, 2026 |
| Citation | Imperial Irrigation District Board, Large Load tariff/rules (approved Sept. 15, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Minimum charges, deposits and first-in-line curtailment under tariff terms |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · consumer protection |
| News report | Imperial Valley utility adopts new pricing rules, putting data centers first for power cuts — KPBS |
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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