I've helped develop data center zoning regulations and learned that communities need rules before approving projects, not after.
The proposed La Osa Energy Center and Project Midway would bring large-scale data center campuses, power plants, battery storage, and transmission infrastructure to south-central Pinal County, including areas along Ironwood Forest National Monument and the greater Santa Cruz River corridor.
At the last Pinal County Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, commissioners asked whether the County was developing data center regulations. Staff's response was ambiguous, even as these projects move forward. A county ordinance should establish standards for appropriate locations, setbacks, water and energy use, wildlife connectivity, lighting, noise, cumulative impacts, public review, and decommissioning.
Pinal County should adopt those standards before granting approval to these projects. Doing so isn't anti-development. It's good planning. Clear rules protect residents, natural resources, and developers alike by creating predictable expectations before the landscape is permanently changed.
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Nick Maya
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
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