Pima County, Arizona
DataCentersExposed tracks 4 AI data centers in Pima County, Arizona — 0 operating and 2 in the pipeline, drawing 250 MW of reported power demand. Its transparent data-center risk score is 0/100.
Sources: Methodology, Coverage scorecard
Reporting by Eric Keller · Updated May 29, 2026
- Project exposure · 7
- Power demand · 0
- Water draw · n/a
- Land footprint · n/a
What's happening in Pima County
Facilities here with disclosed capacity draw 250 MW from the local grid. Data-center load on this scale is the single biggest driver of recent capacity-market price increases — costs that flow through to every ratepayer in the service territory, not just the operators.
Below: every tracked facility in the county, the active state legislation that names it or its county, and local news. Commissioner vote records arrive in a later release; the placeholders show where that accountability data will land.
2035 Buildout Outlook
Under the model's moderate-growth scenario (5%/yr annual load growth), PNNL's IM3 model sites about 3 standardized 36 MW campuses in Pima County by 2035 — roughly 108 MW of new electricity demand and ~0 M gal/yr of cooling water. Under the higher-growth scenario (15%/yr) that climbs to 9 campuses (324 MW). For scale, we currently track 4 real data centers in Pima County (250 MW of reported power).
- High growth3108 MW · ~0 M gal/yr cooling water
- Higher growth9324 MW · ~0 M gal/yr cooling water
These are modeled candidate sites, not announced or permitted facilities. PNNL's IM3 model places identical 36 MW unit-campuses at feasible locations under each scenario — it shows where demand could concentrate, never a specific parcel. Figures use a market-gravity weight of 50. How the model works.
Every tracked facility
| Facility | Operator | Status | MW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Blue Marana Marana | Beale Infrastructure | Proposed | 250 |
| Data center: Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Tucson | — | Proposed | — |
| DirecTV Tucson | — | Mapped (unverified) | — |
| Project Blue Tucson Tucson | Beale Infrastructure | Withdrawn | — |
County commissioners
How the Pima County board votes on each data-center matter — the rezonings, the abatements, the water permits — is built from public-meeting minutes and roll-call records. Know of a vote we should be tracking? Tell us.