Arizona County Rejects Data Center Campus Amid Water Use Concerns
What happened
Supervisors in Pinal County, Arizona, voted down a large data center campus after residents objected to the project. This occurred as Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimated that US data centers used about 17 billion gallons of water for cooling in 2023. The laboratory projects this water usage could double or quadruple by 2028.
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Why it matters
The rejection highlights increasing local opposition to data center projects, with developers facing similar votes in Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory notes that while agriculture accounts for 72% of global freshwater withdrawals, data center water use is rising rapidly. This trend is occurring as data center development faces broader Congressional scrutiny.
Data center development is currently under Congressional scrutiny involving Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
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Who's involved
- Pinal CountyCounty where supervisors voted down a large data center campus.
- ArizonaState where Pinal County is located.
- Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryInstitution that estimated US data center water consumption.
Who could feel it
Possible knock-on effectsThese are possibilities Brind reasoned out, not predictions, and not advice. Most are not stated in any report.
- Pinal CountySpeculative
Local opposition and regulatory hurdles could impede data center investment in the county.
Possible ripples
Who this could reach next, traced step by step from the reporting. Possibilities worth considering, not forecasts.- Local opposition may increase regulatory friction for county supervisorsLocal opposition may increase regulatory friction for county supervisorsLikely
- Local opposition and water stress may modify Wood Mackenzie's market projectionsResource constraints and local opposition may modify Wood Mackenzie's data center market projectionsPossible
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The entities involved
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Pinal County
county in Arizona, United States
Nothing else this week.
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Arizona
state of the United States of America
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Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
United States national laboratory located near Berkeley, California