Santa Clara Data Center Market
City of Santa Clara, Santa Clara County, California
Moderate Risk
Last updated 2026-03-29
Trajectory evidence: Three consecutive Planning Commission denials in 2024-2025. Commissioners expressing cumulative impact fatigue. 96MW of completed DCs sitting empty awaiting power.
Moderate Risk
Dimension Breakdown
Four dimensions that determine entitlement feasibility.
Regulatory Risk
CUP required in industrial zones. Documented supermajority requirement (4 of 5 affirmative votes) creates structural veto threshold. Updated zoning code (July 2025) includes 90-foot height allowance but Planning Commission increasingly hostile.
Infrastructure Readiness
Critical weakness. Silicon Valley Power (city-owned) is severely grid-constrained. Two completed DCs (Digital Realty 48MW, Stack Infrastructure 48MW) sitting empty since construction. SVP has 500MW of pending requests against ~840MW peak capacity. $450M upgrade scheduled for 2028.
Opposition Density
Diffuse opposition through Planning Commission friction rather than grassroots coalitions. No named activist group. Commissioners stated city is committing "too much land to data centers." Chair Saleme: DCs are "unto itself, its own entity. There is little it will add to the community."
Approval Timeline
Two-stage process: Planning Commission hearing (likely denial) followed by City Council appeal. GI Partners: filed pre-2024, approved August 2024. Each project takes 5-6 months minimum. DCs approved but cannot get power for years.
Key Findings
What the record shows.
GI Partners 72MW DC received 3-2 vote from Planning Commission (technical denial due to supermajority requirement). City Council approved on appeal.
Santa Clara News OnlineTwo completed data centers (Digital Realty 48MW, Stack Infrastructure 48MW) sitting empty awaiting SVP power delivery.
Santa Clara News OnlinePlanning Commission Chair Saleme: data centers are "unto itself, its own entity. There is little it will add to the community."
Silicon Valley VoiceSVP received requests for 500 additional MW against ~840MW peak capacity.
Local News MattersKey Officials
The decision-makers on record.
Vice Mayor Kelly Cox
Vice Mayor
Documented Record
Questioned SVP's power delivery capacity: "Have we overpromised and underdelivered?"
Documented position based on public record.
Planning Commissioner Priya Cherukuru
Planning Commissioner
Documented Record
Stated the city is committing "too much land to data centers" and not enough for housing or mixed use.
Documented position based on public record.
Planning Commission Chair Lance Saleme
Planning Commission Chair
Documented Record
Stated DCs are "unto itself, its own entity. There is little it will add to the community... it consumes, it grows, it uses resources."
Documented position based on public record.
Opposition Profile
Who is organizing.
Planning Commission members expressing cumulative impact fatigue
Residents voiced noise and truck traffic concerns at March 2025 hearing
Timeline
How it unfolded.
August 1, 2024
GI Partners DC approved by City Council after Planning Commission technical denial.
October 23, 2024
Prime Data Centers denied by Planning Commission 4-3.
March 1, 2025
CoreSite SV9 received 3-2 vote against (technical denial).
July 1, 2025
Updated zoning code went into effect with 90-foot DC height allowance.
Known Risks
What can go wrong.
Supermajority requirement creates structural veto at Planning Commission
SVP grid severely constrained — 96MW sitting empty
Three consecutive Planning Commission denials
DCs approved but cannot get power for years
Recommendation
Moderate Risk — Score 42/100
Moderate Risk. Entitlement pathway exists but requires budgeting for Planning Commission denial and Council appeal. Primary risk is infrastructure — SVP grid at capacity with $450M upgrade scheduled for 2028.
Sources
Every claim cited.
Get your site scored before the surprises start.
Zoning posture, approval pathway, community risk, and comparable outcomes. Sourced and scored by close of day, not months.
