SpaceX Proposes Massive 747-Acre AI Data Center Near Willcox, Drawing Mixed Reactions from Rural Cochise County Residents
SpaceX is proposing a 747-acre AI data center campus with up to nine buildings near Willcox in Cochise County. Residents expressed both support and strong concerns about the project's electricity demand, noise, wildlife impacts, water use and effects on the rural community ahead of a formal zoning hearing.
SpaceX confirmed plans for a 747-acre artificial intelligence data center campus and battery storage system near Willcox, on rural-zoned land close to the Apache Generating Station and the unincorporated community of Cochise. The proposal, filed under the name Tombstone Resources LLC, could include nine data center buildings and require as much as 6,000 megawatts of electricity. SpaceX energy executive Riley Trettle said the project could create thousands of construction jobs and about 1,000 permanent positions, with hiring focused locally.
At a community meeting attended by roughly 275 people, residents offered mixed reactions. Supporters cited economic and technological benefits, while opponents questioned the project's scale, transparency and potential impacts on electricity infrastructure, noise, wildlife and water resources. SpaceX said it plans to use dry cooling and avoid pumping groundwater from the Willcox basin for industrial or non-drinking purposes. The Cochise County Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the special use authorization Dec. 9; no formal decision has been made.