Pima County Board of Supervisors Greenlights Project Blue Community Benefits Agreement November 21, 2025 The Pima County Board of Supervisors has approved a binding community benefits agreement with Beale Infrastructure, marking a critical step forward for the contentious $3.6 billion Project Blue data center complex. The vote underscores the growing national debate over balancing major economic investments from data centers against local environmental and infrastructure concerns. The Board passed the agreement by a narrow 3-2 vote. The pact formalizes over $15 million in community investments pledged by the developer, including an initial $5 million for STEM scholarships and trade school funding in Pima County, with an additional $10 million earmarked for future local initiatives. A key provision requires Beale to match 100% of the complex's energy consumption with renewable energy, though specific implementation details remain sparse. The agreement also mandates that the facilities be air-cooled, a move aimed at conserving water, and that water for domestic uses must come from a source approved by state authorities. Opposition was vocal, with Supervisors Andrés Cano and Jen Allen casting dissenting votes. Cano argued the deal lacked enforceable safeguards. "Throughout the United States, communities are warning us when governments approve massive data center deals without enforceable guardrails: harm to public health, strain on water and energy, and residents losing their right to say 'yes' or 'no,'" Cano stated. Allen expressed concern that the June vote to sell 290 acres of county land to the project had "opened up the floodgates," leaving the region unprepared for the cumulative impact of multiple data center projects. Proponents, including Supervisor Rex Scott, highlighted the unprecedented scale of the capital investment and its expected positive economic impact. "Getting Beale's commitments into an agreement is a laudable and significant accomplishment," Scott said, noting the deal provides "independent verification" of the renewable energy pledge. The land sale, initially approved in June, is now targeted to close by December 25. In a related development, the project's momentum continues in the nearby town of Marana. Last week, the Marana Planning Commission unanimously recommended rezoning approximately 610 acres for another Beale Infrastructure data center campus, pending Town Council approval. This proposed campus, which aligns with Marana's strict data center ordinance enacted last year, is projected to use between 550 and 750 megawatts of power at full build-out. The Marana proposal emphasizes water conservation, stating the air-cooled data centers would use an estimated 40 acre-feet of water annually—a 95% reduction from the approximately 2,000 acre-feet currently used for agricultural purposes on the land. The ordinance prohibits using potable town water for cooling and requires developers to bring their own water supply and adhere to strict noise limits. These approvals in Pima County and Marana reflect Arizona's evolving landscape as a destination for large-scale digital infrastructure, forcing local governments to craft policies that seek to capture economic benefits while mitigating community and environmental impacts. Source: tucson
Pima County Approves Key Agreement for $3.6 Billion Project Blue Data Center Complex
