Amazon AWS Gilroy Data Center

Timeline from the record

Newest first. Record entries come from the filings and reports the registry cites. Coverage entries are headlines from publisher feeds we monitor daily, linked to the outlet; last checked September 14, 2026.

1. March 2026

   Under construction
   Grading permit issued December 11, 2025; building permit issued March 19, 2026; City of Gilroy project listing shows status as Under Construction Source: City of Gilroy
2. July 2025

   Permitted
   Gilroy Community Development Director Sharon Goei approved Phase 1 (218,000 sq ft building, 49MW PG&E connection) on July 3, 2025; appeal filed July 21, 2025, withdrawn August 18, 2025 Source: City of Gilroy
3. November 2020

   Proposed
   Permit application initially received by City of Gilroy; Amazon purchased 56-acre site for $31.3M in 2020 Source: Data Center Dynamics

Opposition and litigation at this site

Yes. Amazon AWS Gilroy Data Center in Gilroy, Santa Clara County, California is contested. Hearings, public comment, petitions, or organized opposition are on record. Organized resident opposition active.

How the community has taken it

Reception is a sourced signal, not an editorial judgment: contested means active public debate is on record, with hearings, petitions, or organized opposition, without litigation.

Organized resident opposition active. Concerns cited: utility cost spikes, noise, fire and explosion risk from large-scale lithium BESS, and objection to AI use. An appeal was filed July 21, 2025, subsequently withdrawn August 18, 2025. Opponents requested Amazon guarantee the facility would not be used exclusively for AI workloads.

Source: Data Center Dynamics

Power and water

Phase 1: 49MW PG&E grid connection. Potential 50MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on-site. Phase 2 adds a second 218,000 sq ft building with alternative backup power solutions. Total planned capacity ~98MW across both phases.

Final EIR-certified use is 23 acre-feet/year total (~7.49 million gallons/yr) at full build-out, 18 AFY for cooling (~0.016 MGD), 3 AFY landscaping, 2 AFY domestic (FEIR p.186); drawn from Gilroy potable supply pending a recycled-water pipeline. Evaporative cooling is triggered only when outdoor temperature exceeds 83F (~3% of the year). Amazon's promotional figure of ~4 million gallons/yr (~36 households) is roughly half the FEIR-certified total and is disputed in a CEQA challenge; Amazon says it aims for 100% reclaimed cooling water by 2030.

Notes on the record

Status updated to under_construction: grading permit issued December 11, 2025; building permit issued March 19, 2026; City of Gilroy lists project as Under Construction as of July 2026. Site at 8050 Camino Arroyo in east Gilroy along Hwy 101. Full build-out: 438,000 sq ft across 56 acres. Amazon cites a ~$2 billion investment for the Gilroy project (recorded as investmentUsd); its broader Northern California investment of ~$5.1B and ~1,890 jobs since 2009 is regional and not attributable to this site. The 2020 land purchase was $31.3M. Operational job figures conflict and are unconfirmed: the FEIR says employment 'may grow to 50 full-time employees' (a ceiling), the permit application lists 25, and Amazon's promotional materials cite ~90 on-site; the construction workforce is not disclosed.

Other sites within 30 miles

Distances are between recorded coordinates, many of which are a city or county centroid, so treat them as approximate. Cumulative load on one utility and one aquifer is the question a planning commission rarely asks.

• Equinix SV1 · San Jose · Equinix22 mi · Operating
• Prologis 5853 Rue Ferrari · San Jose · Prologis22 mi · Permitted · 49 MW · Supported
• Prologis Silver Creek Valley Road Data Center · San Jose · Prologis22 mi · Proposed · 99 MW

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