Pima County supervisors approve data center moratorium
Pima County Supervisors approved a 120-day moratorium on new data center developments to allow time to create new zoning regulations. The decision was prompted by public health and environmental concerns regarding water, air quality, heat, noise, and energy demands, particularly in a desert region facing drought and rising temperatures. The moratorium aims to address future large-scale data center impacts.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors in Arizona has enacted a 120-day moratorium on new data center developments, effective Tuesday. The decision, approved by a 3-2 vote, aims to provide county staff with time to develop comprehensive new zoning regulations for large-scale data centers. Supervisors Steve Christy and Rex Scott opposed the resolution, while Matt Heinz, Andres Cano, and Jennifer Allen supported it, emphasizing the need to understand potential public health and environmental impacts.
Supervisor Andres Cano highlighted concerns raised by the Pima County Health Department regarding data centers' effects on the county’s water supply, air quality, heat, noise, energy infrastructure, and community health. Given the region's ongoing drought and rising temperatures, supervisors stressed a public health responsibility to assess these impacts before approving projects that place significant demands on resources. The resolution cites the "safety, health and wellbeing" of residents and the environment, pointing to potential negative impacts from energy demand, air pollution, water use in a water-stressed region, noise, and waste heat dispersion.
The moratorium will not impact the previously approved "Project Blue" but could affect future projects in areas like Sahuarita. During the 120-day period, county staff will collaborate with stakeholders and the health department to make recommendations to the Planning and Zoning Commission in October, with a goal of proposing new zoning regulations to the board for a vote before the moratorium expires. This county action follows previous efforts to strengthen regulations on large-scale data centers, initiated a year prior in response to public backlash over the land sale for Project Blue to Beale Infrastructure. The City of Tucson has also taken steps to regulate data centers, including approving new large water user ordinances and considering a potential ban.