The Pinal County Board of Supervisors voted Wednesday to reject a large data center project proposed for a site about 12 miles outside Eloy, according to the Phoenix Business Journal.
The 4-1 vote blocks rezoning for more than 3,000 acres of rural land that would have been used for the La Osa Energy Center. The project called for 11 data center buildings, a gas-fired power plant and a battery energy storage system, according to KJZZ.
The county planning and zoning commission had approved rezoning in April, but the project drew strong opposition from nearby residents. Critics raised concerns about heavy water and power use, noise, light pollution and possible displacement of the community.
Developer Vermaland said at a public hearing in May that it would cut the project size by 80% and revise its zoning application with fewer buildings and power plants. Even with those changes, opponents turned out in force for the Aug. 26 meeting, and the county received more than 100 letters against the plan, PBJ reported.
Pinal County has no operating data centers, even as more than 200 local governments nationwide have active moratoriums on data center development. Arizona also put a three-year freeze on data center incentives in June, and county staff is now considering possible zoning code changes for future proposals.
