Coverage spread: 3 sources — 3 unrated
Lean ratings via AllSides / Media Bias-Fact-Check. How this works.
Where they agree
- Mayes will hold a town hall in Ahwatukee on Oct. 14 about a planned hyperscale data center there.
Where they differ
- AZFamily includes resident accounts from Ahwatukee saying they didn’t understand the project’s impacts when it was approved two years ago, a detail not emphasized elsewhere.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is asking state lawmakers and Gov. Katie Hobbs to pass a law pausing approval of new data centers, particularly large-scale “hyperscale” AI facilities, citing strain on the state’s power grid and water supply. She announced the call on Monday, pointing to rising electricity costs and a federal cut of nearly 30% to Arizona’s Colorado River water allocation.
What exactly is Mayes proposing?
Mayes wants the Arizona Legislature and Gov. Hobbs to enact a statewide pause on approving new data centers, with special attention to hyperscale AI projects, which require far more power and water than typical facilities. “The only sane thing to do is to pause the approval of new data centers,” Mayes said in a written statement. “Data centers are power- and water-intensive, and Arizona is challenged on both fronts right now.” She argues the state should get a better handle on its water and power needs before issuing any further approvals.
What evidence does she cite?
Mayes’ office points to a 2025 analysis from the sustainability nonprofit Ceres estimating that if every currently planned data center project in the greater Phoenix area were built, data center-related water demand in the region could rise more than 450%. She also notes that cooling systems for these facilities can consume tens to hundreds of millions of gallons of water annually, and that the power plants built to supply them require additional water. Even data centers that avoid water-based cooling aren’t exempt from concern, she says, citing an Arizona State University study finding such facilities can push nearby temperatures up by as much as 4 degrees.
Why now?
The timing follows two pressure points: a federal decision to cut Arizona’s Colorado River water allocation by roughly 30%, and mounting local pushback against specific projects. In Pinal County, the Board of Supervisors voted down a rezoning request for a large data center last week after residents packed a public meeting in opposition, effectively killing that project. Mayes said data center proposals have generated significant community opposition elsewhere too, including in Ahwatukee, where residents living near a planned 1-million-square-foot hyperscale facility say they didn’t fully understand the project’s potential impacts when it was approved two years ago.
What happens next?
Mayes plans to hold a town hall in Ahwatukee on Oct. 14 to hear directly from residents concerned about the planned hyperscale data center there. It remains unclear whether the Legislature or Hobbs will act on her request, and no bill or executive action has yet been introduced. The call is a request from the attorney general’s office rather than a formal policy change, so any pause would require separate legislative or gubernatorial action.
How is this being covered differently?
Arizona Mirror and AZFamily both provide the fullest account, detailing Mayes’ reasoning, the Ceres water-demand estimate, the ASU heat study, and the Pinal County vote. AZFamily includes additional detail on the Ahwatukee town hall and resident concerns about being uninformed at the time of the original approval. 12 News Phoenix offers only a brief note focused narrowly on the upcoming Ahwatukee town hall, without the broader policy call or supporting data.
Sources
Featured photo: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere. via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)