Pima County passes 120-day moratorium on future data center projects
The Pima County Board of Supervisors has approved a 120-day temporary moratorium on new data center developments in unincorporated areas of the county. The pause allows the county to develop new zoning requirements and study potential impacts, including air quality, water use, and land use. Existing projects like Project Blue and Project Gravel are exempt.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors in Arizona has approved a 120-day temporary moratorium on future data center projects within the county's unincorporated areas. The 3-2 vote will halt new developments for four months, during which time the county plans to develop new zoning requirements and study the potential impacts of data centers.
Supervisor Jenn Allen detailed the scope of the studies, which include air quality, emissions, water use and stress, land use, green space, cumulative impacts, community vulnerability, light pollution, and construction-related dust. The moratorium, however, does not apply to projects that have already begun the permitting process, such as Beale Infrastructure's Project Blue and the proposed Project Gravel data center south of Tucson, which are exempt due to an amendment passed on Tuesday night.
Reed Spurling, an activist with the No Desert Data Center Coalition, supported the resolution as a crucial "first step" towards strengthening data center regulations, although his group ultimately seeks a permanent ban. The moratorium, valid for 120 days, includes a possibility for extension after its initial term.