Arizona Data Center Intel

Recent Arizona data center news

• Mar 13, 2026

  Digital Infrastructure Boom Faces Complex Labor Crisis

  William Self of Mercer warned that labor — not capital, land, or energy — is the single biggest constraint on the current data center buildout during a Marsh-hosted webinar on March 9.

  • Main announcement/action:William Self (Mercer) stated the workforce shortfall could be 75,000–140,000 skilled workers over the next few years; he said companies must plan for two talent phases (construction trades vs. long-term operations) and build labor pipelines via apprenticeships, community college partnerships, veteran pipelines, and in-house academies. The webinar was hosted by Marsh on March 9.
  • Background and details: Self flagged geographic shifts from hubs (Northern Virginia, Phoenix, Dallas) to emerging locales (Columbus, Ohio; South Bend, Ind.; Abilene, Texas; rural Louisiana; Texas Panhandle), noted a resulting boomtown dynamic and service shortfalls, reported cross-industry poaching (power/utilities, defense, process industries), mentioned a risk-based pay response to a “psychological burden” tied to conflict in the Middle East, and cited typical data center technician pay of $60,000–$90,000 annually.
• Mar 12, 2026

  Valley Data Center to be Acquired with Plans for Major Expansion

  RadiusDC has announced a definitive agreement to acquire phoenixNAP’s Phoenix, Arizona data center and colocation business, with closing expected in Q2 2026.

  • Acquisition details: RadiusDC will acquire the existing Phoenix colocation facility, interconnection infrastructure, and development rights; upon closing RadiusDC will expand DC1 to 8 megawatts of IT power and develop DC2 to add up to 18 megawatts, with initial DC2 phases expected online beginning first half of 2028, positioning the Phoenix I campus to scale to approximately 26 megawatts of total critical IT power capacity; closing is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
  • Background & advisors: Approximately 80% of phoenixNAP’s global business will remain independently owned and operated by phoenixNAP, which will remain a tenant in the Phoenix facility; financial and legal advisors include J.P. Morgan (financial advisor to RadiusDC), BofA Securities (exclusive financial advisor to phoenixNAP), Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Snell & Wilmer LLP, and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.
• Mar 12, 2026

  Fossil generation could rise with faster-than-expected growth in data center power demand

  The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) published an analysis showing that faster-than-expected electricity demand growth driven by data centers could increase natural gas and coal generation and raise wholesale electricity prices.

  • Main analysis and assumptions: The EIA produced a high demand growth scenario in which 2026 and 2027 growth rates are 50% higher than the February STEO in data-center-heavy regions, while other regions are +1 percentage point above STEO; the scenario assumes no additional generating capacity beyond the February STEO and applies an assumed +$0.50/MMBtu increase in natural gas delivered prices across regions.
  • Key modeled outcomes and metrics: Under the scenario, natural gas generation rises to +7.3% (123 BkWh) between 2025–2027 (vs 1.7% baseline), coal generation declines by 5.0% (37 BkWh) nationwide in the high case, and ERCOT 2027 wholesale prices model +$37/MWh above the February STEO (excluding ERCOT the average 2027 wholesale price is +$2.10/MWh above the STEO forecast of $48/MWh).
• Mar 11, 2026

  Kelly Outlines His Vision For AI Regulation

  Sen. Mark Kelly has proposed the “AI Horizon Fund” to pool contributions from data center companies to pay for electrical infrastructure upgrades and increased capacity.

  • Main action: The Senator presented his AI Horizon Fund proposal at the Brookings Institution on March 11, 2026, calling for data center companies to pool funds to pay for electrical infrastructure improvements and increased capacity so ratepayers don’t bear increased costs; he referenced his “AI For America” white paper (released last September) as the starting point for Senate AI regulation.
  • Context and details: Kelly highlighted community pushback in Arizona over data centers’ energy and water use, noting requests to use the energy equivalent of 50,000 homes; he also criticized President Donald Trump’s “Rate Payer Protection Pledge” as effectively a “handshake deal”, and referenced a post on X about those concerns.
• Mar 11, 2026

  General Assembly Budget Conferees Need to Invest in Quality of Life, Not Big Tech

  The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) has called on Virginia lawmakers to eliminate or substantially limit the sales tax credit on data center equipment to redirect revenue to public services.

  • Main action: PEC submitted a letter to General Assembly leadership and budget conferees requesting elimination or phased reduction of the sales tax exemption on data center equipment, arguing the exemption cost more than $1.9 billion in FY2025 and could have raised state revenue from $31.2 billion to $33.1 billion if collected. The letter identifies priorities for redirected revenue: water supply and wastewater treatment, transportation and transit, schools, childcare, and food security.
  • Background and details: PEC cites Dominion Energy data that it is receiving requests for ~10 additional data center applications monthly totaling 2–3 GW, bringing cumulative demand to 70 GW, while current peak demand is 24 GW with >36% electricity imports. PEC estimates Dominion will need to invest over $100 billion in generation, transmission and substation infrastructure (including nearly $30 billion for transmission) to meet the backlog over the next ten years.
• Mar 11, 2026

  Climate Change Solutions - March 10, 2026

  EESI will host a briefing on energy efficiency with the Alliance to Save Energy on March 12 to highlight cost-effective measures for households and small businesses.

  • Main announcement: EESI and the Alliance to Save Energy will hold a briefing Strategies to Lower Utility Bills Now for Households and Small Businesses on Thursday, March 12, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., in the Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (Room 2168) and online (RSVP link available). The event focuses on energy efficiency solutions for households and small businesses and invites expert panelists to discuss readily-available measures.
  • Background and other details: EESI published a Climate Jobs fact sheet citing >4 million climate jobs in 2024 and a 2.8% growth rate in clean energy jobs; it also promoted the 29th annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO on June 24 (Rayburn Foyer and Gold Room, 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., online option). The newsletter summarizes recent congressional activity on bills including S.2245 (Digital Coast Act extension), H.R.755 (Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2025), H.R.390 (ACERO Act), and H.R.2600 (ASCEND Act), and notes hearings that focused on the electric grid and data centers.
• Mar 11, 2026

  EdgeCore Returns With Revised Mesa Data Center Plan

  EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure has returned to Mesa’s Planning and Zoning Board to seek approval for a revised, scaled-back Mesa North Campus site plan.

  • Main action: EdgeCore is seeking approval on March 11, 2026 for a reduced site plan that cuts the previously approved 2.1 million-square-foot expansion down to two buildings totaling 1,236,960 square feet (roughly 800,000 sq ft less). The reduction follows an SRP infrastructure requirement that led to removal of the southernmost planned building and accommodation of an SRP switchyard/substation on the property. The revised plan, if recommended by the Planning and Zoning Board, will advance to the Mesa City Council; construction timing will depend on available power and is expected to be delivered in phases.
  • Background and details: EdgeCore previously announced the Mesa expansion on Jan. 4, 2024 after securing $1.9 billion in financing (MUFG as administrative agent; led by TD Securities, ING Capital LLC, Scotiabank, Santander and MUFG). EdgeCore later acquired 43.87 acres for $43.95 million (May 2025) to support planned capacity of more than 450 megawatts; the full campus includes an original 180,000-square-foot data center and two buildings under construction (identified as PH02 and PH03). The site is described as a secure technology park with reliable power, dense fiber, and high-efficiency cooling systems designed for low water use.
• Mar 10, 2026

  US solar installations down in 2025 after Trump policies jolt market, report says

  The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie published a study showing US new solar installations fell to 43 GW in 2025, down from nearly 50 GW in 2024.

  • Study finding and causes:43 GW installed in 2025 versus nearly 50 GW in 2024; utility-scale solar installations declined 16% and community solar declined 25% in 2025. The report attributes the disruption to policy changes under the Trump administration, including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the scrapping of subsidies and tax breaks for renewable developers, and a freeze on approvals for major projects. Top states: Texas added 11 GW, followed by Indiana, Florida, Arizona, Ohio, Utah and Arkansas.
  • Background and projections: The report notes solar and energy storage accounted for 79% of new capacity additions in the first year of the Trump administration, with more than two-thirds of installations in states won by him. It projects the US will add 490 GW of new solar capacity by 2036, taking cumulative installed capacity to nearly 770 GW. Key spokespersons: Darren Van’t Hof (SEIA interim President and CEO) and Michelle Davis (head of solar, Wood Mackenzie).
• Mar 9, 2026

  Johnson Camp Mine Produces First Copper Using Rio Tinto’s Nuton Technology

  Rio Tinto announced that its Nuton venture produced first copper at the Johnson Camp Mine using its proprietary leaching technology.

  • Main announcement: Nuton “produced its first copper at Johnson Camp using its proprietary leaching technology” (Rio Tinto Dec. 4 release); the Johnson Camp deployment is a commercial-scale, four-year Nuton phase targeting ~30,000 tons of copper cathode over the period and claiming a mine-to-metal carbon footprint of 0.82 kilograms CO2-equivalent per kilogram of copper, with the process said to use up to 80% less water and generate up to 60% lower GHG emissions vs conventional routes.
  • Background and related details: Johnson Camp is owned by Gunnison Copper in Cochise County (south of Willcox); Rio Tinto announced a two-year agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Jan. 15 to supply low-carbon Nuton copper to AWS component manufacturers and to receive cloud/analytics support; Nuton also made a $30.5 million payment to advance the Yerington Copper Project, and Nuton/Arizona Sonoran terminated their option on the Cactus Project.
• Mar 6, 2026

  President Trump Issues ‘Rate Payer Protection Pledge’ Proclamation

  President Trump signed the “Rate Payer Protection Pledge” proclamation requiring hyperscalers and large tech firms to supply on-site energy and pay for necessary grid infrastructure upgrades to prevent electricity rate hikes for ratepayers.

  • Main action: The proclamation, first announced at the State of the Union, was signed with executives from Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI committing to provide on-site energy and cover costs of grid upgrades to avoid passing electricity rate increases to consumers.
  • Background and context: Experts warned of capacity shortfalls and long interconnection/permitting timelines (example: “5 years” in the interconnection queue plus additional permitting time), making it unlikely new generation can meet data center demand by 2027–2028; the proclamation is nonbinding (no force of law) and Sen. Mark Kelly described it as effectively a “handshake deal”.