Arizona Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes is calling for a statewide pause on new data centers, specifically those aimed at powering artificial intelligence systems, amid rising energy costs and the federal government’s plan to cut 30% of Arizona’s Colorado River supply.

12News investigative journalist Joe Dana discusses why there’s been a surge in peak energy demand over the last several years for the state’s largest utility, Arizona Public Service, and whether the energy costs for data centers behind the surge are being shifted to average ratepayers.

Arizona is using more electricity than ever. Extreme heat is pushing the grid to new records, data centers are adding enormous new demand, and families are already struggling with high summer power bills. This is exactly when Arizona should be getting more serious about using energy wisely. Instead, the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) has moved[...]

As the number of data centers across the U.S. continues to increase, so does public opposition to them. That has some Arizona leaders looking for new standards for what acceptable data center development could look like. That public sentiment against data centers was highlighted at a recent protest in Phoenix, where resident Nile Bunger showed[...]

Residents who want to learn more about a controversial data center and natural gas power plant near Glendale will have the opportunity to do so on Aug. 12. A neighborhood meeting is scheduled for residents to ask questions about Project Eagle, the data-center component of a large development planned near Litchfield Road and Olive Avenue.