As Casa Grande commission approves massive data center, residents ask, 'Why are we here?'
Casa Grande's Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-1 to approve the Grande Valley Data Center, a roughly 954-acre complex that will include battery storage and onsite natural-gas power. Residents strongly opposed the project, citing its potential water use during Colorado River shortages, while the developer said it would cap annual water consumption at 300 acre-feet and operate independently of the residential power grid.
Casa Grande's Planning and Zoning Commission approved the Grande Valley Data Center by a 6-1 vote despite strong opposition from residents at the project's first public hearing. The complex, located about eight miles from downtown and spanning roughly 954 acres, will include data center facilities, battery storage and natural-gas generation. The approval followed the city's adoption of conditional-use requirements for data centers covering water, energy, noise, hazardous materials and decommissioning.
Residents questioned the project's estimated annual water use of 300 acre-feet, or about 97 million gallons, amid Colorado River reductions and drought conditions in central Arizona. Project attorney Lindsay Schube said the facility would not connect to the residential electricity grid and would use Bloom Energy solid-oxide fuel cells for onsite power. San Carlos Irrigation Project Electrical District 3 representative Brian Yerges supported the project, while the developer cited billions of dollars in construction-related economic activity and hundreds of permanent jobs.