Pinal County officials seek more guidance on large-scale data centers ahead of La Osa decision

The Pinal County Board of Supervisors is deliberating on approving "La Osa," the county's first large-scale data center, and recently held a special session to gather expert opinions on its potential impacts. David Ebert, the University of Arizona’s chief AI and data science officer, explained the increased energy demands of AI-driven data centers and the challenges in assessing their sustainability, emphasizing the need to move beyond simple consumption metrics to understand their specific operations. Supervisors Rich Vitiello and Jeff Serdy raised concerns about water use in drought-prone Arizona and the necessity of local data center placement. Ebert countered that many data centers are becoming water-neutral and that dry cooling is effective in Arizona's climate, while emphasizing that proximity to users is critical for real-time, life-critical applications.

Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission, Robert Klob and Gary Pranzo, expressed unease with the county's current understanding of the energy landscape, noting that Pinal County may need to increase its power capacity significantly. Scott Scharli, Director of Strategic Energy Management at Salt River Project (SRP), detailed how the utility addressed an "unprecedented interest" in data center load growth by requiring cluster applications and large deposits for transmission upgrades. SRP’s studies project substantial transmission upgrade costs and indicate a multi-year lead time for new generation capacity. The Board ultimately voted to postpone the decision on La Osa's rezoning and site planning request until August 2026 to allow for more information gathering.