May 11, 2026
Date: May 11, 2026
The City of Coachella convened a community town hall on the evening of May 11, 2026 at the Boys and Girls Club of Coachella Valley (85350 Bagdad Avenue) to receive resident feedback on the proposed Coachella Valley Technology Campus and the formation of the Coachella Municipal Utility. The full project scope, as presented by Stronghold Power Systems, is larger than the Phase 1 figures that had circulated publicly: six data center buildings totaling approximately 3 million square feet, with a rated capacity of 270 to 300 megawatts, on 240 acres of agricultural land at Avenue 52 and Filmore Street on the city’s eastern edge. The campus would serve as the anchor tenant for the Coachella Municipal Utility. Stronghold claims the project will generate $21 million in annual revenue and create hundreds of jobs. Dozens of residents attended, and the community’s opposition was reported as fierce throughout the two-hour session. The site sits directly across from residential mobile home parks and approximately two miles from a local elementary school. On infrastructure: the city approved a Municipal Utility Development agreement with Stronghold Power Systems Inc. on February 11, 2026; a separate agreement with Coachella Valley Power Services LLC is also on record. On grid: on May 6, the Imperial Irrigation District announced that a $36.7 million federal and matching investment in an Advanced Distribution Management System — originally submitted in 2024, canceled in October 2025, and reactivated by the Trump Administration — had received approval to move forward. On political context: campaign finance records confirm that Stronghold Power previously donated to the mayoral campaign of former Mayor Steven Hernandez, who resigned following a guilty plea on a conflict of interest charge. Mayor Dr. Frank Figueroa attended the town hall and stated that he is seeking clarity on the specific language of the development agreements, noting that terms like “Municipal Utility Center” — which allows for the importation of energy — and the rebranding of data centers as a “Technology Campus” have left officials and residents feeling the project’s true impact has been obscured. The meeting wrapped at 8:00 p.m. with no resolution.
The town hall confirmed what the pre-meeting public record suggested: the community opposition is organized, substantive, and grounded in documented environmental conditions. At least three petitions calling for a moratorium on data center development in Coachella have circulated, with one collecting 689 signatures within five days of launch. Resident Stephanie Ambriz called directly for a moratorium at a prior council meeting, stating “you can build a utility without data centers,” and noted that the data centers’ IID connection means impacts would extend to all IID customers across the Coachella and Imperial valleys — a claim IID spokesperson Robert Schettler declined to address when asked. The environmental baseline matters here: Riverside County is among the worst regions in the country for ozone pollution, and the American Lung Association has documented that data centers can worsen ozone conditions through increased energy production and backup generation systems. Resident Tabitha Davies, a farmer from Sky Valley, put the equity framing directly: “Someone made a choice to put this out there, not in a wealthier part of the valley. That’s not economic development, that’s environmental injustice.” Stronghold maintains that the facility would use 40% less water than the agricultural operations currently on the site, that power runs through dedicated microgrids that do not draw from residential infrastructure, and that each facility runs primarily on fuel cells and battery storage with diesel backup reserved for emergencies. Those assurances did not quiet the room. Mayor Figueroa acknowledged his own reservations about rising electricity rates and water use, referenced Imperial Valley’s community-led pushback as an example, and said the city is hearing residents. A full environmental impact report is required before any final approval.
According to AICV, the Coachella Valley Technology Campus is the highest-stakes active infrastructure decision in the eastern valley as of May 2026. The full project scope as of the May 11 town hall is six data center buildings, 3 million square feet, 270–300 MW, on 240 acres at Avenue 52 and Filmore Street — larger than the three-building Phase 1 figures previously in public circulation. Key status: February 11 municipal utility agreement with Stronghold Power Systems Inc. is binding; IID $36.7M ADMS investment is advancing; EIR is required and not yet initiated; community opposition is active across at least three petitions; the site abuts residential mobile home parks and is approximately two miles from an elementary school. Campaign finance tie between Stronghold and former Mayor Hernandez is confirmed on the public record. The current mayor has publicly questioned the agreement language and acknowledged his own concerns. This brief will be updated as council actions and the EIR process advance.