Your Questions, Answered

Clear, factual answers about the proposed development and what it means for our community.

The Basics

What's actually being built, and where?

A data center campus called “Project Perseus,” developed by AVAIO Digital, on the former Delta View Golf Course along West Leland Road, next to the Contra Costa Canal. The city informed us it was a “Technology Park” — many residents found out it was actually a data center in June.

What's a data center?

A data center is a large building full of computers that power AI and internet services like email, video streaming, and apps. Just like your phone heats up, thousands of computers running together create heat. These buildings need huge amounts of energy to run and keep themselves cool. They run 24/7.

How big is this, really?

Phase I is approved at 92–99MW. But the city already approved a plan allowing up to 500MW across three total phases. Running 24/7, 99MW Phase 1 consumes as much electricity over a year as 100,000 average homes. Pittsburg has about 24,000 homes.

Approval & Accountability

Has this already been approved? Can it still be stopped?

Yes — the full three-phase plan was approved by the City Council in November 2024. It's not impossible to stop, but it's complicated: overturning that approval would require a legally mandated process with public hearings and formal notifications, not just a vote to put it back on the agenda. Future phases do get more review, but not as much as it sounds — projects that fit the existing rules can be approved by the Zoning Administrator alone, and even changes of up to 10% in height or size need no public hearing at all. The main thing guaranteeing real public review of future phases is the lawsuit settlement, which requires a separate environmental study for each one.

Wasn't there a lawsuit over this?

The Center for Biological Diversity raised legal challenges over wildlife and emissions review. That ended in a signed settlement agreement with the city and developer in December 2025.

Who moved this project forward?

Approved unanimously (5-0) by the City Council in November 2024: Shanelle Scales-Preston (now County Supervisor), Juan Banales, Dionne Adams, Jelani Killings, and Angelica Lopez. The Planning Commission recommended approval; it was chaired and recommended at the time by Arlene Kobata.

Do nearby residents, the church, and the middle school know about this?

The city's official FAQ says yes — that residents have been informed since the project was introduced in 2018, that the neighboring church on Golf Club Road has hosted several community meetings (the city cites one as recently as May 5), and that Pittsburg Unified School District is aware of the project. We see it differently. The city's own answer only says the district is aware — not the students or their parents. Administration knowing is not the same as the families sitting in classrooms 1,500 feet away knowing. Hosting a meeting at a church isn't the same as informing its congregation, either. And even among people who did attend a meeting, many have reported being surprised — the messaging didn't land. Most of the residents and parents we've talked to only learned this was a data center, not a “Technology Park,” in 2026.

Health & Environment

What about water?

The facility is air-cooled and uses recycled water only, not drinking water. Phase 1 is projected to use about 80% less water than the golf course did. Phases 2 and 3 aren't finalized yet, but the city intends to keep them on recycled water too. The city states the recycled water spray happens in confined spaces, not in the open air.

Is the noise really 24/7?

Cooling systems run 24/7. Diesel backup generators are tested up to 50 hours a year per generator, but during an actual power outage they run continuously for as long as the outage lasts — no time limit.

Is the diesel exhaust dangerous?

Diesel exhaust is classified as a known human carcinogen. There's no recognized “safe” exposure level, though individual risk at the 400+ foot distance to the nearest residence, and at this testing frequency, is far below occupational exposure (truck drivers, miners, etc.).

The pollutant most directly tied to asthma and respiratory illness is nitrogen oxide (NOx). The project's own air quality filing shows the generators are responsible for nearly all of the site's NOx emissions (95% of the project's total), even after pollution-control scrubbers are factored in: about 4.4 tons a year. That's equal to roughly 5,530 trucks idling for a full day.

What happens during an actual power outage?

This is where it gets serious. A single 12-hour blackout, with all 37 generators running, releases ~25% of the facility's entire annual testing emissions in half a day, for both NOx and CO2e.

In NOx terms, that's roughly 2,660 trucks idling for those 12 hours. In CO2e/fuel terms, it's about 98,900 gallons of diesel burned — equal to roughly 8,200 trucks idling for those 12 hours.

How close are the schools?

5 schools within 1 mile: Rancho Medanos Junior High (1500 ft), Los Medanos Elementary, Parkside Elementary, Willow Cove Elementary, and Heights Elementary (0.6 mi from Phase II). 3,190 students.

Economic Impact

Will my electricity bill go up?

The city says no, but we don't agree. It's true the data center buys power from Pittsburg Power Company, not PG&E — but both buy wholesale from the same CAISO market. A 24/7 data center adds demand that can push wholesale prices up for everyone on that market, including PG&E, especially at night when natural gas plants and batteries set the price. AVAIO has committed to funding its own grid upgrades, not new power generation — so it draws from the shared market without adding net new supply to offset what it takes. With the grid already tight and the site approved to grow up to 500MW, a bill increase is likely unless net new power is added to cover what it draws.

Will our property values go down?

We can't say for certain — there's no study specific to this site, so anyone who gives you an exact number is guessing. Here's what we can point to: Property value is heavily influenced by buyer perception, and industrial facilities like this are widely treated as a risk to nearby home value. That perception gets sharper for families with kids. If a data center brings diesel backup generators and added noise within a mile of a school, that's a factor many parents will weigh when deciding whether to buy in the area at all, and a shrinking buyer pool tends to put downward pressure on prices. This is part of why neighboring Brentwood and Oakley are moving to ban data centers outright before one gets built near them. Locally, the concern is clear — our petition gained over 20,000 signatures in two weeks.

How many jobs will this actually create?

Project filings list 20–30 permanent employees — it could be as low as 10. AVAIO claims “500+ jobs,” which includes temporary construction work. There's no guarantee any employees are from Pittsburg.

What does the city actually get out of this?

About $2–2.5 million a year in tax revenue. But the city's General Fund is already running a $2.5–3.3 million annual shortfall — so it's worth asking whether this actually solves the problem, or just papers over it.

Take Action

What can we do right now?

Sign the petition. Come to City Council meetings and make a public comment requesting a moratorium on Phases 2 & 3. Email templates for the California Energy Commission and other key decision-makers are available on the website — every email counts.

See every way to take action