Vernon, a tiny industrial city of just over 200 residents located about five miles south of downtown Los Angeles, has quietly become a major hub for artificial intelligence data centers. Once known for heavy industry, pollution issues, and political scandals, this modest corner of Los Angeles County is now drawing major investment from developers building facilities to power AI computing. Massive arrays of advanced AI chips now hum in warehouse‑scale buildings, consuming electricity at levels comparable to a small town.
Tech companies and data center developers are attracted to Vernon for several key reasons. The city operates its own publicly owned utility, offering cheap and abundant electricity, which is critical for AI hardware that demands high power and efficient cooling. Vernon’s industrial character also means there is little community resistance to large‑scale infrastructure projects, unlike in other Southern California cities where residents have successfully blocked or delayed data center construction due to concerns about water use, noise, and environmental impact.
Property developers and real estate firms say Vernon is poised for rapid expansion in AI infrastructure, with plans underway for hundreds of megawatts of new data center capacity. Firms are converting old industrial buildings — including a former slaughterhouse — into cutting‑edge data halls filled with powerful processors. This development reflects a broader trend in the AI industry, where growing demand for computing is reshaping commercial real estate and pushing infrastructure into areas that can support massive power needs.
However, this boom also raises larger questions about sustainability and resource use. Data centers require enormous amounts of electricity and cooling, and analysts worry that even Vernon’s plentiful power may eventually be stretched if demand continues to grow unchecked. Meanwhile, California as a whole faces rising energy costs and strained infrastructure, challenging policymakers and utilities to balance technology growth with environmental and community impacts.
