Mohave County adds special-use permitting for data centers amid water, power concerns
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Summary
The Board of Supervisors on Dec. 1 approved zoning ordinance amendments that define 'data centers' and require special-use permits (SUPs) in industrial and airport districts. Supporters said Entrada has water and power commitments; residents and others raised concerns about water and electricity impacts.
The Mohave County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 1 adopted changes to the county zoning ordinance that formally define data centers and require any new facility to seek a special-use permit, obliging developers to demonstrate impacts on water and power before receiving final approval.
The move, presented by Director Holtre, responds to recent inquiries about data-center proposals and adds a definition for "data center" (amending sections 8, 14, 32, 30-33 and 34) while placing the use in industrial zoning districts only with a required commission review and board approval. "Any data center that comes into the county . . . would have to come to the commission and then to the board for special-use approval," Holtre said.
The change drew public comment from residents and local stakeholders. Jerry Hardy of Mojave Electric Cooperative told the board the utility supports the amendment and will work with developers and the county on power issues. Kathy Taggett Hicks, representing Entrada, said Entrada has industrial zoning, contractual power arrangements and a 100-year water adequacy determination from the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), and that the site's water allocation for manufacturing and airport use exceeds anticipated data-center needs.
Supervisors stressed case-by-case review. "If we don't think a particular location is a good fit for a data center, the SUP process would allow us to not allow that," the chair said during deliberations.
Board members pressed staff about basin-level water availability and where data centers might be appropriate; Director Holtre said Entrada already has a pending site-plan application and that the SUP requirement gives the county the authority to disallow projects that would unduly strain local resources.
The ordinance amendment was approved by voice vote. The SUP requirement does not outright ban data centers anywhere in the county but requires additional documentation on utilities, water use and other project-specific mitigations before a final land-use decision is made.
Next steps: developers proposing data centers in Mohave County must submit a site plan and a special-use permit application for review by the planning commission and the board. Staff said utility and water analyses will be required as part of those applications.