San Gabriel Valley Residents Protest Battery Storage and Data Centers in City of Industry Hundreds of San Gabriel Valley residents gathered in Rowland Heights to protest the construction of battery energy storage systems and data centers in the City of Industry, citing concerns over air quality, health risks, and the potential repurposing of the Puente Hills Mall into a data center. The rally, organized by the No Data Centers SGV coalition, highlighted the environmental and economic impacts of industrial expansion on surrounding communities, particularly those of color. On a warm yet overcast Saturday morning, hundreds of residents from the San Gabriel Valley converged in Rowland Heights to voice their opposition to the establishment of battery energy storage systems and data centers in the City of Industry. The protest came in response to a February decision by the City of Industry City Council, which unanimously approved changes to zoning laws to permit the construction of a battery storage facility near the intersection of Azusa Avenue and the 60 Freeway. Despite its small residential population of around 200, the City of Industry is a major industrial hub, hosting approximately 3,000 businesses, including numerous factories, and spans a unique 14-mile-long, two-mile-wide strip that borders roughly a dozen neighboring communities.Protesters at the rally expressed deep concerns about the potential environmental and health impacts of these new developments, particularly the deterioration of air quality and the risks posed by battery storage facilities. One of the primary worries among attendees was the future of the mostly vacant Puente Hills Mall, which gained fame as 'Twin Pines Mall' in the 1985 film 'Back to the Future.' With the City Council's recent zoning changes, residents fear that the struggling mall could be repurposed into a data center, mirroring the film's plotline. Community members also raised concerns about the massive energy consumption required to power such a facility, warning that it could lead to higher utility costs for residents in surrounding municipalities.The protest drew participants from predominantly unincorporated communities adjacent to the City of Industry, including Rowland Heights, Avocado Heights, Hacienda Heights, La Puente, and South San Jose Hills. The event was organized by the No Data Centers SGV coalition, a collective of community activist groups such as San Gabriel Valley Progressive Action, Avocado Heights Vaquer@s, Puente Hills Community Preservation Society, SGVoices, Party for Socialism and Liberation, and No Data Center Monterey Park.Attendees carried signs in English, Spanish, and Chinese, reflecting the diverse demographics of the San Gabriel Valley, which is primarily Asian American and Latino. Andrew Yip of SGV Progressive Action addressed the crowd, emphasizing the unity of the communities in their fight against the City of Industry's industrial expansion. He accused the city of being a 'parasite,' extracting resources from surrounding areas without providing any benefits in return.Data centers, while not a new phenomenon, are proliferating rapidly due to the global surge in artificial intelligence. A study by Cornell University researchers last year projected that AI growth could contribute an additional 24 million to 44 million metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere annually by 2030, equivalent to adding 5 million to 10 million vehicles to U.S. roads.Furthermore, the cooling systems required to sustain AI technologies could consume between 731 million and 1,125 million cubic meters of water annually, comparable to the water usage of 6 million to 10 million households. Stephanie Sanchez, a 63-year-old resident of Hacienda Heights, shared her personal experience with pollution at the rally. Having grown up in Boyle Heights, East L.A., she recounted the devastating impact of the Exide Technologies battery recycling plant, which operated for nearly a century and contaminated the soil with toxic lead, affecting thousands of nearby properties. Sanchez's family suffered severe health consequences, including multiple cancer diagnoses and deaths. She highlighted the disproportionate burden of environmental pollution on communities of color, noting that data centers are often built in 'sacrifice zones'—areas already heavily impacted by industrial pollution.In California, these zones include predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods such as Hawthorne, Del Paso Heights in Sacramento, and Bayview-Hunters Point in San Francisco, as identified in a 2025 study