 My Statement Regarding Today's Vote
Project Blue Comprehensive Plan Amendment
TUCSON, ARIZONA- June 17, 2025 –In a column published in the Arizona Daily Star on May 18, Sandra Watson, the head of the Arizona Commerce Authority, said the following:
The capital investments made by data centers stimulate local supply chains, benefiting suppliers, contractors, and construction workers. These projects not only drive immediate economic growth, but establish long-term economic stability by attracting further technology investments and development opportunities.
Aside from the many individual benefits Project Blue will bring to our region, Ms. Watson’s words attest to why I will be enthusiastically voting to approve it. The boost it could provide to our local economy may well be transformative. Many of the targeted industries cited by both Pima County and The Chamber of Southern Arizona will be positively affected. We have heard what it will mean for the county’s ability to market the Southeast Employment and Logistics Center for future development.
Having said all that, the vast majority of Pima Countians who have contacted our office about Project Blue have encouraged me to vote against it. They have, in most cases, shared thoughtful concerns about the potential effects on our energy and water resources. Their opposition is often based on what they have observed in other places around the world that have built data centers.
From the first briefing I received on this project, it was abundantly clear that county staff and everyone associated with it anticipated that environmental concerns, especially related to water, would be paramount with this board and the people we serve. Plans and promises have been made that, if they are fulfilled, could make this project a model for how to balance economic development and environmental protection.
We have to do everything we have planned and promised. There can be no excuses for failure, or faltering. I am certain I speak for my colleagues and the people we represent when I say that. To do otherwise will not only diminish any economic benefits this project may bring; it will cause people to lose trust in government. It could also cause harm to this place we love and call home.
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