Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Data Centers topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents, students and advocacy groups press Pima supervisors over proposed Amazon data center and Project Blue
Summary
Dozens of public commenters and several supervisors pressed the board Oct. 14 over Project Blue, a proposed development involving Beal/AWS; speakers raised concerns about power, water, surveillance, public records and process transparency.
At a lengthy call to the public on Oct. 14, more than two dozen speakers raised concerns about Project Blue — the private‑sector proposal tied to Beal Infrastructure and Amazon Web Services — and the county’s June land sale and approval process. Several residents, students, nonprofit representatives and subject‑matter speakers urged the Pima County Board of Supervisors to slow or halt the sale and to demand more public records and independent technical review.
Comments from multiple speakers focused on four recurring themes: the project’s electricity and water demand, possible reliance on fossil fuel generation, risks to local grid reliability and household energy costs, and the potential for mass surveillance given AWS partnerships with companies such as Palantir. Several speakers cited national reporting and other data‑center developments as examples of increased fossil‑fuel generation and industrial water use in other states.
Multiple speakers raised procedural concerns: they alleged private meetings and early access between Project Blue representatives and local officials, asked for public disclosure of staff and supervisor contacts with Beal/AWS, and pressed for more public records on annexation, utility commitments and contract language. Commenters and several supervisors sought clarity about the purchase and sale agreement’s closing conditions, the annexation status with the City of Tucson, and what municipal approvals remain outstanding.
Board members acknowledged the public comments and called for additional transparency. Supervisor Cano asked county administration to provide an update on outstanding public‑records requests related to Project Blue and asked staff to produce a plan to release files within 45 days. Supervisor Allen and others requested additional detail tying proposed projects to county housing and economic studies. Several speakers also urged supervisors to consult independent grid, water and environmental reviews.
Ending: The board did not take a final, case‑specific vote on Project Blue at this meeting; supervisors directed the county administrator to update the board on outstanding records requests and to continue coordination with city and regional partners.
