Tucson leaders are one step closer to advancing an amendment to the city code that will introduce formal limits on data centers.
Mayor Regina Romero and the City Council set out to draft the proposal last year — after water needs from the Project Blue data center generated intense public backlash.
They were briefed during this week’s study session on the results of a months-long study of what residents want to see out of the proposal. Residents have called for restrictions on where data centers can be built and how much energy they can use.
Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz asked how feasible it would be to ban data centers outright.
“It’s going to be a major strain on our water and energy infrastructure and in a desert city, that’s just a trade off — especially in this time — that we can’t afford,” Santa Cruz said during a Tuesday meeting.
City officials told councilmembers a moratorium on data centers would have to be legally defensible and would likely be limited to 120 days. After that, property owners could file suit.
Councilman Paul Cunningham said the proposed changes were stringent.
“Everyone’s done a pretty decent job in putting a significant number of guardrails up that I’m not anticipating many data center users knocking on the door anytime soon. But, that’s our goal,” he said.
Still, Cunningham said he’d like to see clearer language on fees the city would charge if a data center proposal came through.
The proposal will next go to the city’s planning committee.
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A Pima County Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit between the opponents of Project Blue – a developing data center outside of Tucson – and Pima County and its Planning and Zoning Commission. -
Mayor Regina Romero and City Council members asked city officials to put together a draft amendment after voting to block Project Blue last year. That’s the data center proposed for a 290-acre stretch of Tucson’s southeast side that would have used millions of gallons of city water. -
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