(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Pinal Partnership.)
By Craig McFarland | Pinal Central
Data centers are essential 21st-century infrastructure, much like power plants or water towers, keeping the economy running while supporting national security and America’s continued economic strength.
As demand for digital services grows, data centers have become essential to modern life. They are not just for “Big Tech”; hospitals, banks, businesses and everyday Americans rely on them constantly. Every time you download a photo, search online or use GPS on your phone, you are using a data center.
Pinal Partnership urges our government leaders to reject fear-based opposition and support a future built on freedom, innovation and facts. Let me be clear: I have never been a conspiracy theorist. My approach has always been to understand the facts and use them to draw logical, reasonable conclusions.
When it comes to data centers, it is clear to me that bad actors are using national and social media to spread misinformation, causing well-meaning people across the country to believe claims that are simply false. I believe this because the strongest incentive to slow America’s data center development comes from foreign actors seeking to weaken our competitive edge in the future.
A common misconception is that data centers consume large amounts of water. Modern facilities use closed-loop systems that recirculate water during operations, reducing ongoing water needs to nothing beyond basic building use.
Another misconception is that data centers are noisy. Modern facilities are designed to minimize sound by placing generators in sound-proofed enclosures, making them much quieter than earlier generations that sometimes had exterior generators.
Some claim data centers raise homeowners’ electricity bills. In Arizona, that is not the case: New data centers are required to pay the full cost of their power needs rather than passing those costs on to ratepayers.
Some claim data centers will consume so much electricity that homes and businesses will be left without enough power. In Arizona, that is not true. Data centers must work with power companies to identify, fund and secure the electricity needed for their projects; if they cannot, they cannot be built.
