Flagstaff city commission, Northern Arizona University panel put data centers in the spotlight
News ClipArizona Daily Sun·Flagstaff, Coconino County, AZ·3/25/2026
Flagstaff's Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council are proactively discussing amendments to the city's zoning code to regulate future data center developments, driven by concerns over high electricity and water consumption and potential environmental impacts. This comes as similar concerns and community protests are ongoing in nearby Page, Arizona, with Native American communities also voicing worries about resource use and cultural impacts.
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Gov: Flagstaff city commission, Flagstaff Planning and Zoning Commission, Flagstaff City Council, Arizona League of Cities and Towns, Arizona Legislature, Page City Council, Hopi Tribal Council, Northern Arizona University, University of Arizona
Flagstaff, Arizona, is proactively addressing the potential development of data centers within its city limits, despite no formal proposals having been submitted yet. The city's Planning and Zoning Commission discussed updating the city code on March 11 to create specific restrictions on data centers, prompted by a survey from the Arizona League of Cities and Towns. Tiffany Antol, Flagstaff's zoning code manager, explained that the current code has a "bigger hole...than we wanted to leave open" regarding data centers. The proposed amendment would require data centers in heavy industrial zones to obtain a conditional use permit (CUP) and meet specific standards, including noise limits, generator restrictions, and assessments for energy use, water-sewer impact, and noise. While some commissioners supported this proactive approach, others, including Vice Chair Mary Norton, expressed a preference for an outright ban, citing concerns about alignment with the city's carbon neutrality plan and potential legislative preemption. The commission will review an option for an outright prohibition.
Concurrently, Northern Arizona University's Department of Applied Indigenous Studies hosted a discussion on March 20 about the impacts of data center development on Indigenous communities in the Southwest. Speakers, including Chris Jocks from NAU, Robyn Jackson from Diné C.A.R.E., and Karen Jarratt-Snider from NAU, highlighted concerns over water and electricity consumption, the historical context of resource extraction on Navajo Nation lands, and the potential for developers to target tribal lands due to senior water rights. Carrie Joseph-Leslie, director of the Hopi Tribe’s natural resources department, acknowledged the economic appeal for tribes but urged caution. This local scrutiny in Flagstaff mirrors ongoing community protests and discussions with an unnamed developer in Page, Coconino County, since August 2025, where similar environmental and community consent issues are at play.