Imperial County Repeals Data Center Moratorium After Court Order: What October 6 Decision Does—and Doesn’t—Allow

IMPERIAL COUNTY — October 27, 2026. A court order has changed how the county may handle proposed data-center projects in its unincorporated areas. The Imperial County Board of Supervisors approved an urgency ordinance on October 6 repealing two temporary moratorium ordinances that restricted data-center approvals. The county says it acted in response to a Peremptory Writ of Mandate issued in litigation involving Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturers, LLC.

What was repealed?

The county adopted Ordinance 1616 on June 16, 2026 as an interim restriction on data-center project approvals outside incorporated cities, then extended that temporary restriction with Ordinance 1618 on July 14. The Superior Court directed the county to set both measures aside and stop enforcing the moratorium as described in the writ.

According to the county, the October 6 urgency ordinance took effect immediately. Officials said they would no longer use the repealed ordinances as a reason to refuse to accept, review or decide data-center applications.

Does that mean every data center can now be built?

No. The county expressly notes that its action does not decide which zoning laws, environmental reviews or other permit requirements apply to individual applications. Applicants may still face regular land-use, building, utility, environmental and other legal requirements. Removing a temporary moratorium is not equivalent to granting a building permit, certifying an environmental impact report or finding a project suitable for every site.

Why the decision is consequential

Data-center operators can have substantial electricity, land and cooling requirements, but the exact resource impact varies with the design. Local communities evaluating proposals need to see water-supply plans, power demand, traffic, emergency access, tax incentives and proposed employment. A blanket assertion that every data center either solves local economic problems or necessarily destroys water supplies would be unsupported.

For readers near the Salton Sea, data-center applications are a separate planning issue from the geothermal lithium extraction proposals. Both can involve industrial investment questions, but one approval cannot be inferred from decisions about the other.

How to verify a specific application

Review the county’s published ordinance, the relevant Superior Court writ and the Planning and Development Services Department’s file for the proposed property. A county press release summarizes the action, but it is not the full judicial record.

Primary source: Imperial County — October 6 repeal of Ordinances 1616 and 1618 following court order. See Imperial News for further local government updates.

Editorial note: This report describes the county’s account of a legal and legislative action and does not attribute wrongdoing to an applicant, court or official. Final project approvals must be checked separately.

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