Track Data Centers @TrackDataCenters1

Good news!!! Cochise County supervisors voted 3-0 this week to adopt new regulations governing data center development, even though no company has applied to build one in the county yet. The rules require developers to secure a special use authorization, a stricter approval process than most projects receive, and to submit noise impact analyses and water use plans. Developers are largely barred from using drinking water to cool servers unless no other water source is reasonably available. Board chair Frank Antenori said the county is "thinking ahead," anticipating that a data center application could arrive by 2028. The vote followed months of public debate, including a call from one planning commission member for an outright 120 day moratorium, a proposal supervisors ultimately did not take up. County staff said the legal threshold for a moratorium, proof that water, sewer, or public safety systems would be overwhelmed, had not been met. The county's development director said her office received significant public feedback, with most comments opposing data centers as a land use altogether. Officials say the regulations will be revised through public work sessions in the coming months. #CochiseCounty #DataCenters #ArizonaNews