Data center developer sues for right to use Colorado River water in thirsty California county
The developer behind a proposed $10 billion data center has filed a lawsuit asserting his rights to Colorado River water in California’s Imperial Valley. Sebastian Rucci is a Huntington Beach lawyer and businessman pushing the plan in a region already known as a big water user. The Imperial Valley sprouted as an agricultural center that’s the largest user of Colorado River water in the seven states that rely on the river. Farmers use about 80% of the state’s full allocation. As managing member of Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing, Rucci filed his lawsuit June 5 in California Superior Court in Imperial County. After two cities — El Centro and Imperial — snubbed Rucci’s bid to get recycled wastewater to cool the proposed data center, the developer went back on a statement that he had no intention of using water from the over-allocated Colorado River.
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