Arizona attorney general calls for statewide pause on data centers

PHOENIX (KYMA) - Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is calling for a statewide pause regarding the approval and construction of new data centers, particularly hyperscale AI projects.

In a press release, the pause is said to be "necessary amid rising energy bills and after the Department of Interior cut Arizona's Colorado River water supplies by almost 30%."

"The only sane thing to do is to pause the approval of new data centers," Attorney General Mayes said. "Data centers are power- and water-intensive, and Arizona is challenged on both fronts right now."

Mayes is also calling on lawmakers and Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-Ariz.) to pass "legislation to halt data center approvals until Arizona develops a plan to manage the industry's growth."

"Arizona may be one of the most exposed states in the country to the negative impacts of excessive data center development," Mayes said. "The Colorado River is in serious distress, and Wall Street firms are seeking to ship La Paz County's groundwater to Phoenix to fuel the Valley's growth against the wishes of the county's residents and leaders. We owe it to our communities, homeowners, and future generations of Arizonans to better manage our water and power needs before any new data center approvals are issued."

In addition, Mayes announced she will be holding a town hall in Ahwatukee, a village located in Phoenix, on October 14, where she will hear "from concerned community members about Menlo Digital's planned hyperscale data center project."