Plans for a massive film studio and retail complex in Tonopah also include a large-scale data center

Arizona Land Consulting, led by CEO Anita Verma-Lallian, is planning a massive 1,350-acre multi-use complex in Tonopah, an unincorporated area of Maricopa County, Arizona. The ambitious project includes a 300-acre data center, a 355-acre film production studio (Camelback Productions), a golf course, and an amusement park. Maricopa County supervisors recently approved the zoning for the development, with Verma-Lallian anticipating final site plan submissions within six months and construction potentially beginning in two years.

Powering the extensive complex, particularly the data center which is expected to draw a gigawatt of energy, presents a significant challenge. The project falls within APS's service territory, but timely interconnection to the grid is uncertain due to nationwide high energy demands. Verma-Lallian is exploring temporary power solutions, such as on-site, off-grid natural gas plants, to bridge the initial two to five years until grid access can be secured.

Despite Arizona's arid climate, Verma-Lallian asserts that the data center's water requirements are minimal, estimated at around 5% of what a typical housing subdivision would need. This low water demand has made data centers a focus for Arizona Land Consulting, now comprising 50% of their development portfolio. She cited a previous project in Buckeye where plans for 10,000 homes were converted into a 2,000-acre data center campus due to a lack of assured 100-year water supply, which was later sold to developer Tract.