[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":353},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-d1-supervisor-runoff-karbassi-pacheco-say-no-to-ai-data-centers-over-water":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":341,"dateModified":341,"description":342,"extension":13,"meta":343,"navigation":21,"path":344,"rawbody":345,"seo":346,"sitemap":347,"stem":348,"tags":349,"__hash__":352},"news\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-d1-supervisor-runoff-karbassi-pacheco-say-no-to-ai-data-centers-over-water.md","Fresno D1 supervisor runoff: Karbassi, Pacheco say no to AI data centers over water",false,"Marta Reyes",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":334},[242,246,250,266,269,272,276,279,282,286,289,292,296,299,302,305,321,324,328],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"fresno-d1-supervisor-runoff-karbassi-pacheco-say-no-to-ai-data-centers-over-water",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"Fresno Bee fact check finds both D1 supervisor candidates oppose AI data centers over water concerns.",[254,258,259],{},"Fresno City Council voted to pursue a 10-year moratorium on data centers inside city limits.",[254,261,262],{},"Tulare County extended its data center moratorium by 10 months and 15 days.",[254,264,265],{},"Fresno County ag value hit $8.589 billion in 2023, per the county crop report.",[66,267,268],{},"Mike Karbassi went first. He said the county should not trade scarce water for racks of servers, and he tied it right back to fields and small towns. Then Maria Pacheco, the Kerman mayor headed to a November runoff with Karbassi for the Fresno County District 1 supervisor seat, said her reading of the room is simple: people in her district don’t want AI data centers, so she doesn’t either.",[66,270,271],{},"That’s the crux of a Fresno Bee fact check published this week. It matters because any data center water would come from the same pool growers depend on, and the same systems that still struggle to deliver safe, reliable drinking water in parts of the Valley.",[61,273,275],{"id":274},"what-the-bee-asked","What the Bee asked",[66,277,278],{},"The Bee pressed the runoff pair on a now-familiar question: do AI data centers belong in Fresno County. Karbassi pointed to water first, saying, \"We don’t have enough water for our farms,\" and named westside towns like Kerman and San Joaquin that still wrestle with contaminants. Pacheco said she’s hearing a clear \"no\" from residents and will carry that forward if she wins in November.",[66,280,281],{},"It was 91 degrees in Kerman at noon on Monday. The point lands a little harder when you feel that heat on a block wall.",[61,283,285],{"id":284},"where-city-and-county-rules-stand","Where city and county rules stand",[66,287,288],{},"Inside city limits, the Fresno City Council voted unanimously to move a 10‑year moratorium into the development code. City staff have also said data centers aren’t a defined or permitted land use right now, which means they’re not coming through the door anyway. There’s still process left before the ban is final. Tulare County, watching the same drought-to-flood-to-hot cycle, extended a pause on data centers in unincorporated areas by ten months and fifteen days.",[66,290,291],{},"The county Board of Supervisors hasn’t set a blanket policy specific to data centers, and that’s why a district race becomes the proxy fight. Land use, water, return per acre, it all meets there. Not this water year.",[61,293,295],{"id":294},"why-growers-are-watching-the-water","Why growers are watching the water",[66,297,298],{},"Growers don’t buy servers, they buy certainty. That means a clean allocation, plus power that doesn’t spike at harvest, plus a path for towns to keep their systems whole. Fresno County’s 2023 crop report lists $8.589 billion in gross value across more than 300 commodities, led by grapes, almond, and pistachios. That number is only possible when water shows up on time and of the right quality.",[66,300,301],{},"Almond checks are still sensitive to reliability. USDA NASS pegs the 2024 average almond price at $2.14 per pound, and the growers I talk to say a shaky pump test or a mid‑summer outage can burn that margin fast. A chilled server hall that needs steady cooling water, even if it’s reclaimed or in a closed loop, draws from the same finite web of sources and pipes that feed blocks, drip lines, and schools.",[66,303,304],{},"Karbassi framed it as first protecting farms and communities that already struggle to meet safe‑water standards. Pacheco said her stance follows what she’s hearing on the westside. \"If they say no, it’s a no.\"",[66,306,307],{},[308,309,310,311,314,315,320],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,312,313],{},"CVAI Newsdesk"," team and developed by ",[316,317,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":318},[319],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[322,323],"hr",{},[61,325,327],{"id":326},"source","Source",[66,329,330],{},[316,331,332],{"href":332,"rel":333},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.fresnobee.com\u002Fnews\u002Fpolitics-government\u002Felection\u002Flocal-election\u002Farticle317355269.html",[319],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":335},[336,337,338,339,340],{"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":326,"depth":11,"text":327},"2026-09-29","A Fresno Bee fact check shows both District 1 supervisor candidates rejecting AI data centers over water concerns. Here’s what that means for growers and towns on the westside.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Ffresno-d1-supervisor-runoff-karbassi-pacheco-say-no-to-ai-data-centers-over-water","---\nauthor: Marta Reyes\ndate: '2026-09-29'\ndateModified: '2026-09-29'\ndescription: A Fresno Bee fact check shows both District 1 supervisor candidates rejecting\n  AI data centers over water concerns. Here’s what that means for growers and towns\n  on the westside.\ntags:\n- water\n- fresno\n- agriculture\ntitle: 'Fresno D1 supervisor runoff: Karbassi, Pacheco say no to AI data centers over\n  water'\n---\n\n# Fresno D1 supervisor runoff: Karbassi, Pacheco say no to AI data centers over water\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. Fresno Bee fact check finds both D1 supervisor candidates oppose AI data centers over water concerns.\n2. Fresno City Council voted to pursue a 10-year moratorium on data centers inside city limits.\n3. Tulare County extended its data center moratorium by 10 months and 15 days.\n4. Fresno County ag value hit $8.589 billion in 2023, per the county crop report.\n\nMike Karbassi went first. He said the county should not trade scarce water for racks of servers, and he tied it right back to fields and small towns. Then Maria Pacheco, the Kerman mayor headed to a November runoff with Karbassi for the Fresno County District 1 supervisor seat, said her reading of the room is simple: people in her district don’t want AI data centers, so she doesn’t either.\n\nThat’s the crux of a Fresno Bee fact check published this week. It matters because any data center water would come from the same pool growers depend on, and the same systems that still struggle to deliver safe, reliable drinking water in parts of the Valley.\n\n## What the Bee asked\n\nThe Bee pressed the runoff pair on a now-familiar question: do AI data centers belong in Fresno County. Karbassi pointed to water first, saying, \"We don’t have enough water for our farms,\" and named westside towns like Kerman and San Joaquin that still wrestle with contaminants. Pacheco said she’s hearing a clear \"no\" from residents and will carry that forward if she wins in November.\n\nIt was 91 degrees in Kerman at noon on Monday. The point lands a little harder when you feel that heat on a block wall.\n\n## Where city and county rules stand\n\nInside city limits, the Fresno City Council voted unanimously to move a 10‑year moratorium into the development code. City staff have also said data centers aren’t a defined or permitted land use right now, which means they’re not coming through the door anyway. There’s still process left before the ban is final. Tulare County, watching the same drought-to-flood-to-hot cycle, extended a pause on data centers in unincorporated areas by ten months and fifteen days.\n\nThe county Board of Supervisors hasn’t set a blanket policy specific to data centers, and that’s why a district race becomes the proxy fight. Land use, water, return per acre, it all meets there. Not this water year.\n\n## Why growers are watching the water\n\nGrowers don’t buy servers, they buy certainty. That means a clean allocation, plus power that doesn’t spike at harvest, plus a path for towns to keep their systems whole. Fresno County’s 2023 crop report lists $8.589 billion in gross value across more than 300 commodities, led by grapes, almond, and pistachios. That number is only possible when water shows up on time and of the right quality.\n\nAlmond checks are still sensitive to reliability. USDA NASS pegs the 2024 average almond price at $2.14 per pound, and the growers I talk to say a shaky pump test or a mid‑summer outage can burn that margin fast. A chilled server hall that needs steady cooling water, even if it’s reclaimed or in a closed loop, draws from the same finite web of sources and pipes that feed blocks, drip lines, and schools.\n\nKarbassi framed it as first protecting farms and communities that already struggle to meet safe‑water standards. Pacheco said her stance follows what she’s hearing on the westside. \"If they say no, it’s a no.\"\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\u002Fpolitics-government\u002Felection\u002Flocal-election\u002Farticle317355269.html\n",{"title":237,"description":342},{"loc":344},"news\u002Ffresno-d1-supervisor-runoff-karbassi-pacheco-say-no-to-ai-data-centers-over-water",[350,121,351],"water","agriculture","ew24AyeGKW2Qoc4vZ6CziVluZVQ5fXq9BAmDMsduO8k",1790642078650]