Data centers in Arizona

"That's roughly 500 megawatts more than where we were before. And you can attribute a decent chunk of that increase, which, by the way, was about a 2 percent increase from year to year, to larger loads like data centers."

Shah, an emergency room physician and former Arizona legislator, said he does not want data centers built in CD-1.

Nez stated that in the Southwest, tribes and their neighbors outside tribal areas are saying no to data centers.

Nez said data centers use a lot of water, energy, and produce noise, and that property values around these facilities lessen in value.

Nez said Tucson has taken a position saying no to data centers.

Nez said any economic development venture should start with local leaders being transparent with their constituents, and expressed concern about undisclosed data center negotiations.

Nez said Page held primary elections where local leaders pursuing a data center were not transparent and were removed from office by voters in opposition.

Shah said the U.S. is going to need data centers because artificial intelligence is coming, but he does not want them in Congressional District 1.

Dr. Amish Shah acknowledges the economic role of AI and technology but argues against constructing data centers in CD1, citing constituent concerns over water usage, high energy consumption, noise, and traffic.

Mayes said she is working on a plan for a new approval process that would allow communities to vote on data center projects and create a commission to review proposed data centers.

Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University, said water consumption varies significantly depending on the design and operational needs of each site.

new computer chips designed to operate safely at higher temperatures are beginning to curb water demand

data centers alone are unlikely to destabilize Arizona's long term supply, provided strict local oversight and advanced conservation planning remain front and center

Dwayne Clark, Hualapai chairman, stated tribe opposes irresponsible development of hyperscale data centers on the reservation.

Delegation gave Bureau of Land Management until October 2 to respond on data center transparency

Supervisor Jenn Allen said the moratorium would help ensure the county studies impacts including air quality and emissions, water use and water stress, land use and green space, cumulative impacts and community vulnerability, light pollution, construction related dust

Supervisor Andres Cano stated that Pima County Health Department has raised serious questions about how data centers might impact the county's water supply, air quality, heat, noise, energy, and health.

Greg Stanton led Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego and Reps. Yassamin Ansari and Adelita Grijalva in pressing Interior Secretary Doug Burgum for answers on data center proposals on federal public land

Political analyst John Dedie noted that Democrats are responding to strong voter backpush against data center development and AI

Mark Kelly, Arizona Senator, plans to introduce legislation creating a fund that AI companies would pay into to support workers displaced by technology

Councilmember Matt Bullock said there are different types of data centers that require varying considerations and a special use permit would let the council differentiate between them on a case by case basis

Gov. Katie Hobbs called for elimination of tax incentives and a new fee on data centers for their water use

Rhett Larson says data centers are not currently the cause of Colorado River crisis but could worsen the problem

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station is the largest industrial water user in Arizona

Sarah Porter says water use reporting for industrial cooling in Arizona is not detailed enough to determine specific quantities for data center cooling

Arizona has eight active management areas (AMAs) where data centers are located, monitored and regulated by the Arizona Department of Water Resources

In Arizona, data center developers and major tech companies have been eager to talk to ASU's research team about their water use and understand community concerns

Tom Sullivan, COO of Air2O, says Arizona data centers have switched from open loop or evaporative cooling systems to closed loop cooling, where a fresh water glycol mixture is constantly recycled

Jay Feely argues data centers can benefit Arizona communities if developers invest in surrounding areas and use recirculated water.

A QTS official said they anticipate only having to flush their closed loop cooling systems roughly once every 40 years

Arizona has not seen much hyperscale data center development in the state according to ASU research

Arizona State University preliminary study found data centers increase temperatures of nearby communities by 1 to 4 degrees.

Water use at a midsize data center may be around the same as the annual use as 18 homes

Sarah Porter, director of ASU's Kyl Center for Water Policy, says her team began looking into data center water use about two years ago

Closed loop cooling systems dramatically cut data centers' water use compared to open loop or evaporative systems, but are about 33% more energy intensive

Jay Feely, GOP congressional candidate for Arizona's 1st Congressional District, received $600,000 from Leading the Future, a pro AI Super PAC, in June 2026.

Hualapai Chairman Duane Clarke said data centers pose a direct and severe threat to the tribe's sacred water, lands, environment, and way of life

Rep. Yassamin Ansari said Arizona needs to pause the expansion of data centers until the state assesses long term impacts on water and ratepayers

David Ebert, U of A Chief AI and Data Science Officer, states data centers' design and energy and water efficiency can be improved through technological innovation

Onsemi is discussing energy transparency standards with federal and state lawmakers in Arizona

APS grid constraints have kept the utility from committing to additional data centers for the last two and a half years

Jen Allen, Board Chair, stated she does not support NDAs in government but supported the policy as a step towards better transparency

Governor Hobbs opposes a statewide data center moratorium

Residents of Chandler, Arizona in 2025 complained of humming noise from data centre facility

Irene Whitekiller, president of LeChee Chapter, concerned about water consumption for data center cooling

Arizona Corporation Commission Commissioner Kevin Thompson stated it is not realistic to simply say no to new data centers

A majority of Arizona voters, regardless of party, support limiting data center development, citing concerns about water use, electricity demand, and infrastructure costs

In the two or three weeks leading up to July 1 when moratorium went into effect, there were nearly as many applications for sales tax exemption as in entire 13 years of that exemption being in place.

Attorney General Kris Mayes became the first statewide elected official to call for a moratorium on data centers in Arizona on August 31, citing public concerns about water usage and electricity demand

Governor's Office of Resiliency report found communities are overwhelmed by the volume and scale of proposed data center projects

Courtney Coolidge, executive vice president of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry, stated across the nation data centers are not polling well

Supervisor Jen Allen wants to expand new NDA criteria to existing agreements, not just new ones.

President Donald Trump posted on August 31 that communities should want data centers for economic success and jobs

Cynthia Zwick, director of the Residential Utility Consumer Office, attributed backlash to a lack of community engagement from data center developers, utility companies and elected officials

Dr. Theresa Cullen, director of the Pima County Health Department, said she found almost no established guidance from other large local health departments in the Big City Health Coalition on how to assess data center projects

Seiden said you cannot be anti data center and be pro economy, and that data centers are needed and necessary

Danny Seiden, Arizona Chamber of Commerce CEO, said a moratorium on data centers would drive billions of dollars in investment out of Arizona

Seiden said APS, SRP, and TEP have all put in plans where growth pays for growth through data centers

Seiden said X identified a bot farm of approximately 200,000 accounts linked to China working to counter the data center boom in America

Kris Mayes, Arizona Attorney General, urged a pause on all new data center development

Mike Noble, CEO of Noble Predictive Insights, said large data centers have a brand problem and are running into resistance

Courtney Coolidge, Arizona Chamber Executive Vice President, said moratorium supporters should be willing to give up modern conveniences if willing to call for data center moratorium

Courtney Coolidge said Arizona should have serious conversations about where data centers are located, how they are developed, and what responsible growth looks like, rather than a blanket moratorium

Mayes argued proposed rate increases from Arizona Public Service Co. and Tucson Electric Power Co. stem partially from need for more infrastructure to serve data centers

Mayes stated data centers are power and water intensive and Arizona is challenged on both fronts

Supporters say data center construction would provide jobs for five to ten years

Neighbors raised concerns about water, air quality, noise, wildlife and property values

Google Mesa facility is air cooled and consumes water typical of a standard office building

Google committed to replenish 120 percent of freshwater consumed by offices and data centers by 2030

Google donated $600,000 to Trout Unlimited for water restoration in Apache County

Adam Baugh, partner at Withey Morris Baugh PLC, stated the entitlement process for new data centers in Phoenix and neighboring cities is infinitely harder today than a year ago

Indivisible leaders claimed they are not given equal speaking time compared to council supporters and data center project no longer appears on public agendas

City spokesperson said rule changes were implemented to keep meetings safe and productive

Meagan O'Connor and Jillian Ryan lead East Valley chapters of Indivisible opposing NTT project

Newkirk also told Thakker that he supports a moratorium on new artificial intelligence data centers, an arms embargo against Israel, and replacing House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Nathan Taylor Taft, Mesa High School student and co director of East Valley Unite, urged Mesa City Council on June 8 to reject the proposed NTT data center

Taft expressed concern about the project's potential impact on Arizona's water supply

Each building would have internal closed loop and chiller system on roof with closed loop water cooling system filled up only once

Ed Bull of Baccara Eagle Land accepted all Luke Air Force Base compatibility conditions

Supervisor Steve Gallardo voted no, stating location was not appropriate

Supervisor Debbie Lesko voted in favor, stating the permit decision was about military compatibility not land use

Arizona utilities traditionally schedule maintenance during periods of lower demand, such as winter months, but continuous demand from large load facilities can limit these windows

Data centers can require substantial and concentrated energy demand, creating challenges for reliability and affordability

Large load facility construction is exceeding historical growth patterns and challenging how utilities make investment and planning decisions

EdgeCore project not subject to Mesa's July 2025 data center ordinance because initial application submitted January 2024

Governor Katie Hobbs called in her January 2026 State of the State address for ending tax incentives for data centers

Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, xAI, Oracle and Amazon Web Services signed a ratepayer protection pledge committing to ensure data center growth will not drive up consumer energy costs

Bill Jabjiniak, EdgeCore senior vice president of national community and government relations, stated SRP sought to expand infrastructure to help meet rising regional energy demand

The LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation passed a resolution in February 2026 opposing the data center sale and stating they were not consulted about impacts

Galvin stated that data centers should not be located near people or residential areas

Board Chair Thomas Galvin stated the modernized ordinance was about six months in the making

Rachel Walden was the lone nay vote

Data centers receive large state tax breaks despite being a mature industry that comes in huge numbers

APS requested a 14 percent increase in electric bills partly to provide data centers with electricity

Data centers pay a lower sales tax rate than small businesses in Arizona

Jaye O'Donnell said data centers located in industrial zones is a win for those facilities, the industry and the community alike

Mesa updated its code to modernize zoning for data centers, which were previously classified as indoor warehousing

Scott Butler, Mesa City Manager, stated projects will be grandfathered in under new ordinance

Chris Greene, speaking for International Association of Fire Fighters, stated fire departments ill prepared for data center facilities

Mary Kopaskie Brown is Mesa's planning director

Mesa Vice Mayor Scott Somers says the updates benefit the city

Council in 2023 began expressing concerns about the pace of new data centers coming to Mesa

District 6 Councilman Scott Somers in 2023 commented that southeast Mesa had more than its fair share of data centers

All 15 noted data centers are in southeast Mesa, predominantly along the Elliot Road Technology Corridor, which stretches 5 miles between Signal Butte and Hawes roads

Jay Irvin of the Butler Design Group said 400 foot setback was outside the standards for setbacks for other types of industrial buildings which range from 15 to 30 feet

Google said 15% of water consumption was in areas with high water scarcity

Microsoft said 42% of its water came from areas with water stress in 2023

Aurora Gómez of campaign group Tu Nube Seca Mi Río called for moratorium on new datacentres in Spain due to water scarcity

"These renewable energy centers will generate low-cost, homegrown energy and provide millions of dollars in additional revenue to both Maricopa and Pinal counties over the life of the projects"

Google Mesa data center will reach at least 80% carbon free energy by 2026

Joe Kava, VP Data Centers at Google, said they are proud to put down roots in Arizona with data center and cloud region

Mesa Mayor John Giles said the City of Mesa is thrilled to welcome Google and the decision underscores confidence in the city

Google announced a new Phoenix cloud region in addition to the Mesa data center

Google will use air cooled technology instead of water cooling in Mesa

Since 2017, Google has matched energy usage with renewable energy purchases

Mesa Mayor John Giles announced the Google data center project

Joe Kava, VP of Data Centers at Google, stated data centers are economic anchors in communities

Joe Kava, vice president of data centers at Google, announced the Mesa data center project

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs announced the Google Mesa data center project on September 6, 2023

Governor Katie Hobbs stated Google's investment will be critical for Mesa community and state economy

Mesa Vice Mayor Jenn Duff said the driest 12 months in 126 years occurred at the time of the vote and data centers are an irresponsible use of water

Landon Marston, lead author of a Virginia Tech paper, stated researchers are unsure about the degree to which environmental considerations are in data center siting decisions

Venkatesh Uddameri, professor and director of the Water Resources Center at Texas Tech University, stated the typical data center uses about 3-5 million gallons of water per day, equivalent to the water use of a city of 30,000-50,000 people

Sergio Loureiro, vice president of core operations for Microsoft, said the company has pledged to be water positive by 2030, meaning it plans to replenish more water than it consumes globally

Gary Demasi, senior director of energy and location operations at Google, said the company is working to utilize water more efficiently and exploring ways to incorporate circularity

Mayor John Giles said the Google project is a home run and a great day for Mesa

Jobs created would average at least $65,000 annually in positions such as systems administrators, technicians, facilities employees and support services

Mesa Mayor John Giles stated Mesa has a tech corridor anchored by Apple at one end and Google at the other

Councilman Jeremy Whittaker said the Google investment was huge for Mesa