Labor Coalition Appeals San Jose Data Center Approval

A labor-backed coalition called Citizens for Responsible Industry filed an appeal against the San Jose Planning Department's July 8 approval of a data center project located at 300 Holger Way in North San Jose. The coalition argues that city planners failed to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by ignoring the environmental impacts of critical electrical upgrades, including transformers and emergency generators needed for the site's 20-megawatt power requirements.

Project backers oppose the appeal, asserting that a full environmental review is unnecessary because the exterior of the building will remain unchanged. The facility is currently leased by Nvidia through 2035. Erik Schoennauer, a land-use consultant for the property owner, stated that the building is already fully occupied and operational, meaning no new construction is proposed.

The San Jose City Council is scheduled to hold a hearing on the appeal in October to reach a final decision on whether the project can proceed as approved.