RIDGECREST, Calif. (August 21, 2026) – The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority (IWVGA) submitted a comment letter to the California Energy Commission (CEC) in July during the review period regarding the proposed RB Inyokern Data Center, outlining the concerns and its responsibilities for managing groundwater sustainability in the Indian Wells Valley basin. The letter was a result of a unanimous vote by IWVGA’s board to submit comments to the CEC on the proposed data center.
IWVGA is the Groundwater Sustainability Agency for the Indian Wells Valley groundwater basin under SGMA, that manages groundwater extraction within its boundaries. The basin is designated as critically overdrafted by the California Department of Water Resources: its state-approved sustainable yield is 7,650 acre-feet per year, while reported extraction has run at nearly three times that level, or approximately 21,000 acre-feet annually.
In the letter, IWVGA raised several concerns for the CEC to weigh in its review of the data center: if the project’s groundwater demand exceeds the Inyokern Community Services District’s sustainable yield allocation, the project’s proponent would be expected to contribute to imported water supplies and related infrastructure; any project groundwater wells within the basin would be subject to IWVGA’s Basin Replenishment and Extraction Fees; and the CEC should weigh IWVGA’s concern about introducing significant new groundwater demand into a closed, critically overdrafted basin currently undergoing adjudication proceedings.
“Our board acted unanimously on this because protecting the basin is core to what SGMA charges us to do,” said Scott Hayman, chair of the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority. “We wanted the CEC to have a clear picture of the basin’s overdraft status and the obligations any new groundwater user would need to meet. This letter is now part of the public record, and it is important for our community to see this action take place.”
IWVGA will remain abreast of all developments associated with the proposed data center project and continue to monitor its anticipated water demands to ensure that if the project moves forward that it does not adversely impact long-term groundwater sustainability.
