Arizona Attorney General Warns Mesa Town Hall of Data Center Growth Risks
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes used a Mesa town hall to warn that rapid data center growth could increase utility bills, strain water supplies and create noise, heat and oversight problems. The discussion included opposition to projects in the Phoenix area and Pinal County, including a denied rezoning for Vermaland's proposed Eloy campus, while Mayes called for a construction moratorium and stronger regulations.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes told more than 250 people at a Mesa town hall that the state's data center boom could raise utility bills, worsen water shortages and create noise, heat and environmental impacts. She called for a moratorium on new construction, greater transparency from developers and municipalities, and requirements that data centers pay their full power and water costs and provide community benefits.
The meeting drew substantial opposition from Ahwatukee residents, who are challenging a 1-million-square-foot facility being built near homes. In Pinal County, the Board of Supervisors rejected rezoning for Vermaland's proposed 3,000-acre data center near Eloy, while projects associated with Edgecorp, LPI Company and Ryan Companies remain under consideration in the county.
Mayes is also suing Arizona Public Service over a proposed rate increase and said her office is examining legal issues arising when cities reject data centers under Proposition 207. Republican Senate President Warren Petersen criticized a statewide construction moratorium, arguing that local communities should decide where facilities belong and that developers should provide their own power and cooling water.