Cochise County's New Regulations For Future Data Centers

Data centers are popping up across the country, but in a dry place like Cochise County, where water is precious, these facilities could cause real problems.

There are no plans for a data center here yet, but the Cochise County Board of Supervisors is already setting up rules in case someone wants to build one.

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Cochise County Sets Ground Rules as Data Center Debate Continues

The Cochise County government website says the Board passed an ordinance outlining steps to follow if someone wants to build a data center here.

On April 7th, the board approved Ordinance 26-09, which adds new rules about data centers to the county code. The ordinance explains how future proposals will be reviewed. It doesn’t approve any projects yet, but it does lay out how they would be considered.

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A Framework in Place Before Developers Arrive

A few weeks ago, we discussed building a data center in Cochise County. Until now, there haven’t been many rules, which worried people who thought big companies might take advantage of the situation.

The county passed the ordinance to clarify the rules. Now, data centers will need Special Use Authorization and must meet standards for water use, infrastructure, site design, and long-term management.

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Board Chairman Frank Antenori described the ordinance as “a living, breathing document” and said the county will continue improving it based on public feedback over the next year.

This step aligns with what residents have wanted since concerns first arose. When we covered this issue earlier, many people on our social media pages expressed concern about a data center coming to our area. We all want rules in place before any developer arrives with big promises.

This ordinance lays the foundation for those protections.

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Public Concerns Still Shape the Conversation

Water is always the main concern for projects like this. Residents keep asking if a high-water-use industry belongs in a county that’s already working to protect its aquifers. Some people also worry about power use. This ordinance is a good first step to protect our desert resources.