Technology

San Diego delays data center after residents — including Lord Farquaad, Elmo — address City Council

by Isabella Paoletto - 10/29/26 10:16 AM ET

by Isabella Paoletto - 10/29/26 10:16 AM ET

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(KSWB/KUSI) — San Diego City Council (SDCC) and community members — including two people dressed as Lord Farquaad from “Shrek” and Elmo from “Sesame Street” — weighed in Tuesday on a moratorium on developing and expanding artificial intelligence data centers in the city.

The moratorium is an effort by the city to pause a potential federal plan to convert the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) site near Old Town into a 400-megawatt AI data center.

The measure, which passed unanimously, will temporarily pause the project for 45 days, after which city leaders could vote to extend the block for an additional 10 months and 15 days.

Manchester Financial Group, a well-known local developer led by Doug Manchester, was selected by the Navy in 2024 to redevelop the 70-acre…