Our Imperial Valley
Our Water. Our Jobs. Our Future.
They killed the plan to save the Salton Sea — then sued to stop it.
The data center was designed to run on recycled wastewater and send the clean surplus to the dying Salton Sea. The cities backed out — forcing a small river-water request the developer calls a “last resort.” It’s about 0.03% of the district’s Colorado River entitlement, and less than the farm it would replace.
Like the golden sunrise over our green fields and flowing blue waters, a new day is dawning for Imperial County. For too long, our community has been defined by what we lack—struggling with chronic unemployment and economic stagnation. But today, we stand on the threshold of a historic transformation.
We are a coalition of residents, workers, and community advocates who believe that our proud agricultural heritage can seamlessly coexist with the futuristic, high-tech AI landscape of tomorrow. We support the development of the Imperial Valley Data Center—a monumental $10 billion investment in our people, our infrastructure, and our future.
The Opportunity: Building a Prosperous Valley
The proposed data center, planned for long-established industrial land (I-2 zoning) in Imperial County, is more than just a building. It is an economic engine that will generate generational wealth for our region.
Job Creation: The project will bring over 1,600 union construction jobs to local tradesmen and women, followed by approximately 100 permanent, high-paying tech positions.
Funding Our Community: The development will generate an immediate $72.5 million in one-time sales tax revenue, plus an incredible $28.75 million in recurring annual property taxes. That is money that goes directly to our local schools, fire departments, police, and roads.
Grid Resilience: The facility will create up to $30 million a year in net revenue for the Imperial Irrigation District (IID), subsidizing costs for everyday ratepayers.
The Truth About Our Water and the Environment
Opponents of progress are spreading misinformation, using fear tactics about our water supply to block economic growth. Here are the facts:
The data center is designed with state-of-the-art, eco-friendly standards. It will not drain our potable water. Instead, the developer has proposed a closed-loop "purple pipe" system that was designed to run on recycled wastewater (with river water sought only as a last resort after the cities withdrew).
By financing millions in municipal plant upgrades the developer offered to fund, the project will purchase millions of gallons of sewage effluent that cities currently struggle to dispose of, treat it to industrial standards, and ultimately release the clean excess water into the Salton Sea watershed—an active step toward saving our local environment.
Standing Up to Obstruction and "Greenmail"
Despite the data center being fully compliant with the law and permitted "by right" by Imperial County, a coordinated campaign of obstruction is attempting to kill this project.
City politicians and outside "environmental" groups—some with documented histories of demanding massive financial settlements (often called "greenmail") to drop lawsuits against local developments—are trying to hold our county hostage. They are using bureaucratic red tape and "sham" litigation to force the project into endless delays. Just recently, the Superior Court ruled that the City of Imperial's legal challenge against the project was "legally insufficient," proving that the developers have followed the rules from day one.
The developer behind this project, Sebastian Rucci, has a proven track record of standing up to government overreach and fighting for what is right—including successfully winning federal civil rights battles and dedicating years to funding free addiction recovery care for our military veterans. He is fighting for his legal right to build here, and we must fight alongside him.
Join the Movement
We cannot allow political sabotage to destroy thousands of jobs and rob our community of its future. It is time to tell the obstructionists: Not with our valley.
