Economy

Economy

Lithium Valley, the Data Center, and the Economic Future Imperial Valley Keeps Almost Capturing

Imperial Valley has been on the verge of economic transformation for a decade. Lithium Valley. Geothermal. Now AI infrastructure. The pattern of almos

Economy

From Farmland to Tech Hub: The Transition Imperial Valley Has Been Building Toward

Imperial Valley's agricultural economy is the foundation of its history. Geothermal, lithium, and data center investment are the foundation of its fut

Economy

The $72.5 Million Windfall Imperial County Is Being Told to Refuse

A $72.5 million one-time sales tax payment from IVDC construction could fix Imperial County's infrastructure for a generation. Officials are being lob

Economy

Ten-Year Opportunity Cost: What Imperial Valley Loses If IVDC Never Gets Built

Project the economic impact of the IVDC over ten operational years and the numbers become staggering. More importantly, the compounding effects — foll

Economy

What Imperial Valley Looks Like in 2035 If We Get This Right

The decisions being made right now about the IVDC will define Imperial Valley's economic trajectory for the next decade and beyond. Here is what getti

Economy

The Largest Private Investment in Imperial County History — And Why Some Officials Want to Stop It

No private entity has ever committed $10 billion to Imperial County. The project is approved, the land is zoned, and the courts have ruled. Yet the op

Economy

Imperial Valley vs. Coachella Valley: Why the Data Center Belongs Here

Both valleys are desert communities near the Salton Sea. But Imperial Valley has the IID independent grid, the available industrial land, the geotherm

Economy

Farmworker Families and Construction Wages: Where the Money Actually Goes

When construction workers earn union wages on a job site, that money doesn't stay in the job site. It flows to groceries, rent, cars, schools, and the

Economy

Why Rural California Needs Data Centers More Than Silicon Valley Does

Tech companies are choosing rural, energy-rich locations for their biggest infrastructure investments. Imperial Valley checks every box — if local off

Economy

The Apprenticeship Pipeline: How IVDC Builds the Next Generation of Imperial Valley Tradespeople

Every major union construction project includes apprenticeship hours — journeymen training the next generation alongside the work. The IVDC is the lar

Economy

The Opportunity Cost Clock: What Every Month of Delay Actually Costs Imperial Valley

The economic cost of delay is not abstract. Construction wages not paid, tax revenue not collected, jobs not filled — the tab runs every month the app

Economy

Data Center Jobs vs. Farm Jobs: An Honest Comparison

Agricultural employment has sustained Imperial Valley for generations. Data center employment offers something different: union wages, benefits, caree

Economy

What $28.75 Million a Year Does to a School District

Imperial Valley USD and Calexico USD operate on some of the thinnest per-pupil margins in California. $28.75 million in annual property tax revenue fr

Economy

Local Business Supply Chain: Who Gets the Contracts When IVDC Is Built

Construction wages are the headline number. The supply chain spending is the longer story. Food, fuel, materials, services — when 1,688 workers show u

Economy

What Quincy, Washington Got When It Said Yes to Data Centers

Quincy, Washington — population 7,000, Grant County PUD, abundant Columbia Basin hydropower — became one of America's premier data center hubs. The ec

Economy

How a Large Industrial Customer Makes Everyone's Electricity Bill Cheaper

IID ratepayers benefit when large industrial customers join the system. Fixed infrastructure costs spread across more kilowatt-hours means lower per-u

Economy

Twenty Years After Google: What The Dalles, Oregon Looks Like Now

Google built its first major data center campus in The Dalles, Oregon in 2006. Two decades of documented economic impact offer the clearest picture av