Here is what's in Tucson's new data center rules, while city explores ban options

Tucson officials recently adopted new regulations for large-scale data center developments, a move that comes a year after the city council rejected Project Blue, a significant data center proposal in Pima County. The community, led by figures like Margo Itule and Vivek Bharathan of the No Desert Data Coalition, expressed unanimous desire for a complete ban on data centers, citing concerns over shrinking water resources, increased electric bills, and environmental justice issues in areas like the San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation. Bharathan also highlighted past environmental harms from TCE poisoning in the area.

While city attorneys are hesitant about an outright ban due to Arizona's Private Property Rights Protection Act (Prop. 207), which could lead to lawsuits over property value losses, Ward 6 Councilmember Miranda Schubert successfully introduced an amendment. This amendment stipulates that the council will continue to seek strategies to overturn Prop. 207 or find legal loopholes to limit or ban data center development. The ordinance, which includes requirements for building design, environmental impact, and public comment, passed 6-1 with Ward 4 Councilmember Nikki Lee abstaining.

Project Blue, which was linked to Amazon Web Services and proposed by Beale Infrastructure, served as the catalyst for these stronger restrictions. The new rules mandate that data centers larger than 25,000 square feet or requiring over 20 megawatts of power must adhere to strict design specifications, including setback distances from residential areas, noise mitigation, lot occupancy limits to combat urban heat island effects, and avoidance of native habitats. Furthermore, projects using more than 7 million gallons of water per month must submit long-term conservation plans, and developers must demonstrate adequate renewable energy supply and prioritize low-emitting backup power sources.