Amazon Web Services will reportedly no longer be part of the Project Blue data center proposed for a 290-acre strip of land on Tucson’s far-east side.
Public records originally reported by the Arizona Luminaria tie Amazon to Project Blue dating back to at least 2023.
But non-disclosure agreements with Pima County and Tucson officials kept the company’s role hidden until the project came under intense community scrutiny this summer — when its developer, Beale Infrastructure, announced plans to use city water to cool down the facility.
City leaders rejected that plan, and Beale now plans to use Tucson Electric Power electricity to cool things off instead.
As the Arizona Daily Star reports, Amazon is pulling out of the deal because the new cooling method is no longer compatible with its operations.
A spokesperson for Beale would not confirm the change, but said Amazon has previously stated it had no agreements in place in Tucson.
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A resident holds up an anti-Project Blue sign during a community meeting in downtown Tucson on Aug. 4.
Alisa Reznick/KJZZ
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Community members holding signs opposing Project Blue filled Tucson City Council chambers during a study session discussing the fate of the data center proposal.
Alisa Reznick/KJZZ
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Residents hold up a sign protesting Project Blue during a community meeting in Tucson on Aug. 4. The plan was tied to Amazon Web Services, which federal agencies like DHS and ICE also use for surveillance purposes.
Alisa Reznick/KJZZ
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Residents speak during a Project Blue community meeting in Tucson on Aug. 4.
Alisa Reznick/KJZZ
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Representatives with Beale Infrastructure joined Tucson officials to give information about Project Blue during a meeting on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, held at Mica Mountain High School in Tucson’s far southeast side.
Alisa Reznick/KJZZ
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Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and other city leaders listen to a presentation about Project Blue during a community meeting in southeast Tucson on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. The mayor and council will first vote on the project in August.
Alisa Reznick/KJZZ
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Representatives with Beale Infrastructure joined Tucson officials to give information about Project Blue during a meeting on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, held at Mica Mountain High School in Tucson’s far southeast side.
Alisa Reznick/KJZZ
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Representatives with Beale Infrastructure joined Tucson officials to give information about Project Blue during a meeting on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, held at Mica Mountain High School in Tucson’s far southeast side.
Alisa Reznick/KJZZ
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Pamphlets against Project Blue are displayed at the Watershed Management Group's Living Lab in midtown Tucson.
Alisa Reznick/KJZZ
