[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":357},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-council-votes-7-0-to-start-10-year-ban-on-ai-data-centers":235},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":10,"extension":13,"links":14,"meta":20,"navigation":21,"path":22,"seo":23,"stem":24,"__hash__":25},"header\u002Fheader.md","Central Valley AI",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":9},"minimark",[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":12},"",2,[],"md",[15],{"label":16,"to":17,"icon":19},"News",{"path":18},"\u002Fnews\u002F","mdi-newspaper-variant-outline",{},true,"\u002Fheader",{"title":5,"description":10},"header","ceT4J-WxxOBdbhRC-UD3fo0Npu7vWt2o2B9b_LURPmE",{"id":27,"title":28,"body":29,"copyright":33,"description":10,"developedBy":34,"extension":13,"links":41,"meta":49,"navigation":21,"path":50,"seo":51,"stem":52,"__hash__":53},"footer\u002Ffooter.md","Footer",{"type":7,"value":30,"toc":31},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":32},[],"© {year} All rights reserved.",{"label":35,"link":36},"Developed by",{"label":37,"to":38,"target":39,"logo":40},"Kaweah Tech","https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech","_blank","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.kaweah.tech\u002Flogo-black-on-transparent-tight.svg",[42,43,46],{"label":16,"to":18},{"label":44,"to":45},"About","\u002Fabout\u002F",{"label":47,"to":48},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy-policy\u002F",{},"\u002Ffooter",{"description":10},"footer","Ras2AGS8Wuda4aBPrbAbOivaxIsAoDbo9SNCA0w554g",[55,85,123,154,181,208],{"id":56,"title":57,"body":58,"county":77,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":78,"meta":79,"navigation":21,"path":80,"seo":81,"stem":82,"tag":83,"__hash__":84},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield.md","Bakersfield",{"type":7,"value":59,"toc":74},[60,65],[61,62,64],"h2",{"id":63},"ai-in-bakersfield","AI in Bakersfield",[66,67,68,69,73],"p",{},"Bakersfield's AI conversation sits at the intersection of municipal government, the ",[70,71,72],"strong",{},"California State University Bakersfield"," community, and the energy and ag operators that drive Kern County's economy. The city was an early mover on AI-assisted permitting and has been a recurring backdrop for parent- and teacher-led debates about classroom AI use. Articles below follow specific Bakersfield initiatives, public-meeting decisions, and Kern County workforce stories — and how they reflect national AI trends from a regional vantage point.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":75},[76],{"id":63,"depth":11,"text":64},"Kern County","Bakersfield and the surrounding Kern County are home to some of the most concrete AI-in-government experiments in the Central Valley, from instant municipal permitting to school-district debates about classroom AI. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is reshaping public services, education, and the energy and agriculture economies that dominate the region.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield",{"title":57,"description":10},"cities\u002Fbakersfield","bakersfield","ozFL4HvDA_g7UrRE1mHbKqcS-vDLwbiH9JWVh3rB2Ac",{"id":86,"title":87,"body":88,"county":115,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":116,"meta":117,"navigation":21,"path":118,"seo":119,"stem":120,"tag":121,"__hash__":122},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno.md","Fresno",{"type":7,"value":89,"toc":112},[90,94,109],[61,91,93],{"id":92},"ai-in-fresno","AI in Fresno",[66,95,96,97,100,101,104,105,108],{},"Fresno's AI story spans several distinct ecosystems. ",[70,98,99],{},"Fresno State"," and the ",[70,102,103],{},"California State University"," system anchor a workforce-readiness push, while local ",[70,106,107],{},"Fresno Unified School District"," debates around responsible use have made the city a recurring reference point in California's K-12 AI conversation. The city's economic base in agriculture, healthcare, and public services means most AI adoption stories here are about applied uses rather than model development — a different posture than coastal tech hubs but arguably more consequential for the people living here.",[66,110,111],{},"Use the articles below to follow how AI is showing up in Fresno-area institutions and businesses.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":113},[114],{"id":92,"depth":11,"text":93},"Fresno County","Fresno is the largest city in California's Central Valley and the regional center for AI adoption across agriculture, healthcare, higher education, and small business. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being applied — and contested — in and around the city of Fresno and Fresno County.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno",{"title":87,"description":10},"cities\u002Ffresno","fresno","gOL2xk8y9t9OV6PPxP02OjYhZFHC_Cg-VGijh_V93dI",{"id":124,"title":125,"body":126,"county":146,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":147,"meta":148,"navigation":21,"path":149,"seo":150,"stem":151,"tag":152,"__hash__":153},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced.md","Merced",{"type":7,"value":127,"toc":143},[128,132],[61,129,131],{"id":130},"ai-in-merced","AI in Merced",[66,133,134,135,138,139,142],{},"Merced is a research-heavy node in the Central Valley AI ecosystem. ",[70,136,137],{},"UC Merced"," faculty appear in national conversations about AI safety, autonomous vehicles, climate modeling, and pediatric health applications, while the ",[70,140,141],{},"Merced Unified School District"," and surrounding county institutions navigate the same K-12 and workforce questions the rest of the Valley faces. The articles below cover both the campus research story and the broader applied uses around the city and county.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":144},[145],{"id":130,"depth":11,"text":131},"Merced County","Merced punches above its weight in AI research, anchored by UC Merced — a leading West Coast hub for AI in agriculture, climate, autonomous systems, and health. Coverage on this page tracks both academic research coming out of the campus and how AI is showing up across Merced's schools, businesses, and county institutions.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced",{"title":125,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmerced","merced","pSWWlEzMdcv2_RZrUKdkEHU3bixNboePGdHbSdd1m34",{"id":155,"title":156,"body":157,"county":173,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":174,"meta":175,"navigation":21,"path":176,"seo":177,"stem":178,"tag":179,"__hash__":180},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto.md","Modesto",{"type":7,"value":158,"toc":170},[159,163],[61,160,162],{"id":161},"ai-in-modesto","AI in Modesto",[66,164,165,166,169],{},"Modesto's AI conversation tends to combine ag-tech adoption stories with workforce-readiness questions for the city's small and mid-sized employers. ",[70,167,168],{},"CSU Stanislaus"," and the regional community college network shape the higher-ed angle. Coverage below follows Modesto-area AI announcements and the wider Stanislaus County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":171},[172],{"id":161,"depth":11,"text":162},"Stanislaus County","Modesto and Stanislaus County sit between the Bay Area and the southern Valley, and their AI story reflects that bridging role — from agriculture and food processing to the **California State University Stanislaus** community to small businesses adapting to AI-driven changes in marketing, hiring, and operations.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto",{"title":156,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmodesto","modesto","l75Dc40MX8wTb4lD088Yx9we4ypuDwmcvE-uEdqqREc",{"id":182,"title":183,"body":184,"county":200,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":201,"meta":202,"navigation":21,"path":203,"seo":204,"stem":205,"tag":206,"__hash__":207},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton.md","Stockton",{"type":7,"value":185,"toc":197},[186,190],[61,187,189],{"id":188},"ai-in-stockton","AI in Stockton",[66,191,192,193,196],{},"Stockton's economic base in logistics, healthcare, and higher education gives the city a different AI profile than the southern Valley. ",[70,194,195],{},"University of the Pacific"," anchors the academic conversation, while San Joaquin County government, hospitals, and warehouse operators are navigating practical adoption questions: cost, training, security, workforce impact. The articles below track Stockton-area AI announcements and the broader San Joaquin County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":198},[199],{"id":188,"depth":11,"text":189},"San Joaquin County","Stockton and San Joaquin County sit at the northern edge of the Central Valley, where logistics, healthcare, and the University of the Pacific shape the local AI adoption story. Coverage on this page follows how AI is being put to work — and questioned — across San Joaquin County's institutions, employers, and public services.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton",{"title":183,"description":10},"cities\u002Fstockton","stockton","TYEBK9akp2HbpAFmYY67FeKt7Rs7L8tvtYeQBtgJAHw",{"id":209,"title":210,"body":211,"county":227,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":228,"meta":229,"navigation":21,"path":230,"seo":231,"stem":232,"tag":233,"__hash__":234},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia.md","Visalia",{"type":7,"value":212,"toc":224},[213,217],[61,214,216],{"id":215},"ai-in-visalia","AI in Visalia",[66,218,219,220,223],{},"Visalia's AI footprint is grounded in the practical adoption stories that come with a Tulare County economy built around agriculture, food processing, and rural healthcare. ",[70,221,222],{},"College of the Sequoias"," and the surrounding K-12 districts anchor the education conversation. The articles below cover Visalia-area AI developments and the Tulare County context, with a focus on applied uses rather than research or model development.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":225},[226],{"id":215,"depth":11,"text":216},"Tulare County","Visalia is the largest city in Tulare County and a center for agriculture, healthcare, and county-government services in the southern Central Valley. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being adopted across Tulare County's schools, hospitals, ag operations, and small business community.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia",{"title":210,"description":10},"cities\u002Fvisalia","visalia","gN4g7aAl-cqD4FfSTgtTAarltUoKLh8NFlPzCbZngqU",{"id":236,"title":237,"archived":238,"author":239,"body":240,"date":345,"dateModified":345,"description":346,"extension":13,"meta":347,"navigation":21,"path":348,"rawbody":349,"seo":350,"sitemap":351,"stem":352,"tags":353,"__hash__":356},"news\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-council-votes-7-0-to-start-10-year-ban-on-ai-data-centers.md","Fresno council votes 7-0 to start 10-year ban on AI data centers",false,"CVAI Newsdesk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":337},[242,246,250,266,269,272,276,279,282,286,289,292,296,299,303,306,309,324,327,331],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"fresno-council-votes-7-0-to-start-10-year-ban-on-ai-data-centers",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"Fresno’s City Council voted 7-0 on Sept. 3 to initiate a 10-year ban on AI and cloud data centers.",[254,258,259],{},"Mayor Jerry Dyer co-sponsored the item and said data centers aren’t an appropriate use under current technologies.",[254,261,262],{},"The council asked staff to ensure the ban covers current city limits and future annexed land.",[254,264,265],{},"The amendment must go to the Airport Land Use Commission and Planning Commission before a final council vote.",[66,267,268],{},"A stack of blue speaker cards curled at the edges on the clerk’s desk. By day’s end, the Fresno City Council voted 7-0 to start a 10-year ban on AI and cloud data centers. Councilmember Nick Richardson carried the item, and Mayor Jerry Dyer signed on as a co-sponsor.",[66,270,271],{},"The vote matters because it sets a clear direction on a hot issue tied to water, power, and the city’s Southeast Development Area plan. The council didn’t adopt a ban Thursday, but it told staff to write one.",[61,273,275],{"id":274},"what-the-council-approved","What the council approved",[66,277,278],{},"The resolution instructs staff to draft a text amendment to Chapter 15 of the municipal code that defines data centers and prohibits them citywide for 10 years. It also directs staff to return with language the council can adopt after required reviews. The vote was 7-0.",[66,280,281],{},"Councilmembers Brandon Vang and Miguel Arias asked for wording to make plain the ban would apply to properties inside city limits and to any land the city later annexes. No final ban yet.",[61,283,285],{"id":284},"why-backers-want-a-ban","Why backers want a ban",[66,287,288],{},"Richardson said residents worry that the Southeast Development Area, known as SEDA, could open the door to data centers. Mayor Dyer backed the pause, saying the use isn’t right for Fresno under current technologies due to land, water and energy demands.",[66,290,291],{},"Planning Director Jennifer Clark has told commissioners data centers aren’t currently allowed because the city’s code doesn’t list them as a use. Richardson’s resolution cites a section that, absent a change, could let a planning director approve an unlisted use by determination, which is the loophole he wants closed.",[61,293,295],{"id":294},"the-regional-context","The regional context",[66,297,298],{},"Local officials pointed to new and proposed facilities elsewhere in the Valley, including a planned 100‑megawatt project tied to Naval Air Station Lemoore and a recent moratorium in Tulare County. Supporters said a clear city rule helps keep Fresno from being the next test site while the council sorts out SEDA’s financing and infrastructure questions.",[61,300,302],{"id":301},"what-happens-next","What happens next",[66,304,305],{},"The draft amendment heads first to the Airport Land Use Commission, then to the Planning Commission, before a final council vote. Dyer said he’s asked staff to continue drafting regulations that define and prohibit data centers in the meantime. A half-empty Diet Dr Pepper sat at one end of the dais.",[66,307,308],{},"\"Insinuating that SEDA is to build a data center, this gets rid of that conversation,\" Richardson said.",[66,310,311],{},[312,313,314,315,317,318,323],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,316,239],{}," team and developed by ",[319,320,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":321},[322],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[325,326],"hr",{},[61,328,330],{"id":329},"source","Source",[66,332,333],{},[319,334,335],{"href":335,"rel":336},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fresnobee.com\u002Fnews\u002Fcalifornia\u002Farticle317134658.html",[322],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":338},[339,340,341,342,343,344],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":274,"depth":11,"text":275},{"id":284,"depth":11,"text":285},{"id":294,"depth":11,"text":295},{"id":301,"depth":11,"text":302},{"id":329,"depth":11,"text":330},"2026-09-06","The City Council directed staff to draft a code change barring AI and cloud data centers for a decade, with Mayor Jerry Dyer’s support.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-council-votes-7-0-to-start-10-year-ban-on-ai-data-centers","---\nauthor: CVAI Newsdesk\ndate: '2026-09-06'\ndateModified: '2026-09-06'\ndescription: The City Council directed staff to draft a code change barring AI and\n  cloud data centers for a decade, with Mayor Jerry Dyer’s support.\ntags:\n- policy\n- fresno\n- business\ntitle: Fresno council votes 7-0 to start 10-year ban on AI data centers\n---\n\n# Fresno council votes 7-0 to start 10-year ban on AI data centers\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. Fresno’s City Council voted 7-0 on Sept. 3 to initiate a 10-year ban on AI and cloud data centers.\n2. Mayor Jerry Dyer co-sponsored the item and said data centers aren’t an appropriate use under current technologies.\n3. The council asked staff to ensure the ban covers current city limits and future annexed land.\n4. The amendment must go to the Airport Land Use Commission and Planning Commission before a final council vote.\n\nA stack of blue speaker cards curled at the edges on the clerk’s desk. By day’s end, the Fresno City Council voted 7-0 to start a 10-year ban on AI and cloud data centers. Councilmember Nick Richardson carried the item, and Mayor Jerry Dyer signed on as a co-sponsor.\n\nThe vote matters because it sets a clear direction on a hot issue tied to water, power, and the city’s Southeast Development Area plan. The council didn’t adopt a ban Thursday, but it told staff to write one.\n\n## What the council approved\n\nThe resolution instructs staff to draft a text amendment to Chapter 15 of the municipal code that defines data centers and prohibits them citywide for 10 years. It also directs staff to return with language the council can adopt after required reviews. The vote was 7-0.\n\nCouncilmembers Brandon Vang and Miguel Arias asked for wording to make plain the ban would apply to properties inside city limits and to any land the city later annexes. No final ban yet.\n\n## Why backers want a ban\n\nRichardson said residents worry that the Southeast Development Area, known as SEDA, could open the door to data centers. Mayor Dyer backed the pause, saying the use isn’t right for Fresno under current technologies due to land, water and energy demands.\n\nPlanning Director Jennifer Clark has told commissioners data centers aren’t currently allowed because the city’s code doesn’t list them as a use. Richardson’s resolution cites a section that, absent a change, could let a planning director approve an unlisted use by determination, which is the loophole he wants closed.\n\n## The regional context\n\nLocal officials pointed to new and proposed facilities elsewhere in the Valley, including a planned 100‑megawatt project tied to Naval Air Station Lemoore and a recent moratorium in Tulare County. Supporters said a clear city rule helps keep Fresno from being the next test site while the council sorts out SEDA’s financing and infrastructure questions.\n\n## What happens next\n\nThe draft amendment heads first to the Airport Land Use Commission, then to the Planning Commission, before a final council vote. Dyer said he’s asked staff to continue drafting regulations that define and prohibit data centers in the meantime. A half-empty Diet Dr Pepper sat at one end of the dais.\n\n\"Insinuating that SEDA is to build a data center, this gets rid of that conversation,\" Richardson said.\n\n*Central Valley AI is produced by the **CVAI Newsdesk** team and developed by [Kaweah Tech](https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech), a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.*\n\n---\n\n## Source\n\nhttps:\u002F\u002Fwww.fresnobee.com\u002Fnews\u002Fcalifornia\u002Farticle317134658.html\n",{"title":237,"description":346},{"loc":348},"news\u002Ffresno-council-votes-7-0-to-start-10-year-ban-on-ai-data-centers",[354,121,355],"policy","business","5gM37jC9pwSt3P2DzSvT46G2D9WdAcWfxYpkx81BiMw",1788697028599]