Maricopa County Approves Zoning for $25 Billion Data Center Complex Near Phoenix
December 12, 2025
A pivotal zoning decision has cleared the way for one of the largest and most capital-intensive data center developments in the United States, signaling a major expansion of digital infrastructure in the strategically important Arizona market. The approval underscores the intense competition among regions to attract hyperscale investments driven by the growth of artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
On December 10, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve an industrial use permit for a 2,000-acre site in an unincorporated area near Tonopah, west of Phoenix. This vote represents a critical regulatory milestone for the proposed $25 billion data center campus, known as the Hassayampa Ranch project. Supervisor Thomas Galvin recused himself from this portion of the meeting due to a conflict of interest, as his law firm was involved in presenting separate agenda items.
The sheer scale of the planned investment, at $25 billion, places it among the most significant private infrastructure projects in the state's history. The vast campus, spanning approximately 2,000 acres, is designed to support multiple hyperscale data centers, which will provide substantial computing capacity to meet soaring demand from technology firms.
Industry analysts view this development as a transformative event for the West Valley and the broader Phoenix metro area, which has rapidly emerged as a top-tier data center hub due to its available land, favorable power grid, and business climate. The project is expected to generate thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent operational positions, while also placing significant new demands on local water and electrical resources, a factor that will likely shape future sustainability planning for the region.
Source: azcentral