California's biggest oil company just figured out how to build a data center nobody can protest — and the answer was sitting inside an Elk Hills oil field the whole time

California Resources Corporation has found a solution to the contentious issue of siting data centers by proposing the Golden Valley Technology Hub within an oil field. The Elk Hills site, located in Kern County, offers an existing industrial setting that may be more acceptable to neighboring communities accustomed to industrial activity. The project addresses concerns such as noise and water use through measures like a closed-loop cooling system and noise barriers.

While the data center may provide economic benefits to Kern County by creating jobs and tax revenue, the environmental impact is more complex. The project will run on natural gas, and while carbon capture technology is being utilized, environmental groups argue that it mainly serves to prolong the use of fossil fuels. This development reflects a trend of extractive industries transitioning to digital infrastructure in areas already reliant on traditional energy sources, raising questions about whether it signifies a true transition or a prolongation of fossil fuel dependence.