After attending the August 5th Butte County Water Commission meeting, which discussed the agenda regarding AI data center zoning and permitting, I left the meeting feeling more knowledgeable about this current issue that is affecting communities across our nation.

I also learned that my hometown, Oroville, California, currently has no ordinance in place to prevent the possible development of AI data centers within city limits.

The goal of this petition is to encourage the Oroville City Council to create a new ordinance that would fully prevent AI data centers from being developed within the city limits of Oroville, as well as prevent the conversion of existing data centers in Oroville into AI data centers.

I fully understand why the government is encouraging the development of AI data centers, and I understand that artificial intelligence can be helpful and beneficial to small communities. However, with the pros come cons, and in this case, I believe the cons severely outweigh the pros.

No amount of money should ever be prioritized over the quality of life, resources, and well-being of the people who call Oroville home.