The Hayward City Council voted unanimously to approve a moratorium on new data center proposals, a decision that came largely in response to community outcry over the May 2025 approval of a large data center in the city's industrial west side.

The vote allows the city to pause consideration of new data center projects while officials study how existing and potential development could affect the city's infrastructure and priorities.

What the Moratorium Does

The moratorium can last up to two years. According to a news release from Hayward officials, it is "intended to call a timeout to give city staff time to analyze the cumulative impacts of current and potential future data center development on energy and water supplies, air quality, industrial noise levels, city emergency response capacity and city economic development priorities."

During the pause, city officials can consider permanent changes to land-use and zoning rules related to data centers. Any such changes would come after the staff analysis of cumulative impacts is complete.

Community Response to the Eden Landing Road Approval

The council's action followed community outcry over the May 2025 approval of the "Stack SVY03A" data center, a 310,000-square-foot facility on Eden Landing Road in the city's west side industrial zone.

That project is now under construction on an 11.3-acre site, according to city officials.

Four Existing and Approved Data Centers

Currently, there are four existing and approved data centers near a PG&E substation in Hayward's industrial westside. They include: A 24-megawatt facility called SF09, operating on a 10.9-acre site along Corporate Avenue. A 35-megawatt facility called SF11, operating on a 4.24-acre site, also on Corporate Avenue.

A 49-megawatt facility called Hayward Exchange @92, operating on 6.57 acres of a larger industrial campus along Clawiter Road near Breakwater Court.

And the 76.6-megawatt Stack Data Center (SVY03A), under construction on an 11.3-acre site on Eden Landing Road. Combined, the four facilities represent a substantial concentration of data center capacity clustered near the substation in the city's west side industrial zone.

More Projects on the Horizon

The pressure on the city may grow. According to city officials, "the city has been approached by a developer planning to submit applications for two new data centers that would operate each within a half mile of Hayward's existing data centers."

The moratorium gives city staff time to evaluate the cumulative effects of that potential wave of development before any new proposals advance through the approval process.

Part of a Regional Trend

Hayward is not acting alone.

Several other Bay Area cities have enacted similar data center moratoriums, including Oakland, San Francisco, Gilroy, Richmond and Oakley.

The spread of these pauses across the region reflects a broader wave of municipal scrutiny of data center development, though each city's review proceeds under its own local process.

Hayward's two-year window will now determine whether the city adopts permanent zoning and land-use changes for data centers or resumes considering new proposals under its existing rules.