Riding the wave of community resistance seen across the nation, opponents of a proposed data center in Pinal County near Eloy succeeded in derailing the project.

At its meeting on Wednesday, the Pinal County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to deny Vermaland LLC’s request to rezone 2,393 acres of the site from general rural to industrial zoning, with another 992 acres proposed for open space.

The supervisors also voted 4-1 against Vermaland’s request for a planned area development overlay zoning district for the proposed center.

District 3 Supervisor Stephen Q. Miller voted in favor of both measures.

The proposed La Osa Energy Center, which would have sat on more than 3,300 acres along the Greene Wash of the Santa Cruz Wash in the planning area boundary south of Eloy in the unincorporated area of Pinal County, would have been the county’s first data center.

Over several hours, residents from cities and towns across the county voiced many of the same concerns about rising power rates, heavy water use and environmental issues heard in many other communities across the country in opposing data centers.

San Tan Valley resident Natali Fierros, a co-founder of Rural Arizona Engagement and Rural Arizona Action, said that more safeguards are needed in the face of growing AI technology.

“When it comes to artificial intelligence and data centers, safeguards are not a nice thing to have. They are essential to protect health, well-being and the livelihoods of the public. The La Osa Energy Center has so many unanswered questions, and to be honest, the application is so sloppy that it’s difficult to make sense of it,” Fierros said.

Other opposing residents cautioned the commissioners that they would remember their votes on the issue in future elections.

Meanwhile, the comparatively smaller number of supporters of the center, mostly union workers, said the project would bring needed jobs and money to the county.

“The La Osa can put Pinal County-based operating engineers and apprentices to work while providing the hands-on training needed to build the next generation of skilled construction workers,” said Joe Abbott, a representative of the International Union of Operating Engineers, local No. 12 in Phoenix. “Over time, additional tax revenue associated with the project can help strengthen funding for local schools, roads and streets, and other critical public infrastructure.”

Originally, the board was set to decide the issue during its May 27 meeting but instead voted to continue the matter until Aug. 26, at the request of Vermaland after an updated plan was unveiled.

Under the initial plan, the build-out of the La Osa Energy Center would have included up to 59 data center buildings and two sites for gas-fired power plants, according to a county staff report.

However, during the board’s May 27 meeting, the applicant announced a steep downsizing of the proposed data center. The revised plans called for 11 buildings and one gas-fired plant.

Throughout the rezoning process the project had received support from landowners neighboring the proposed center, Eloy officials and the Pinal County Planning & Zoning Commission.

The approval streak did not materialize on Wednesday.

“I’m glad to hear that we’ve got a ‘no’ vote on this one. However, I think the message ought to be that we do need to … create an ecosystem here that we bring in these types of industries,” District 2 Supervisor Mike Goodman said. “There are certain things that need to be done and looked at and evaluated, but I think with that being said, there’s not enough information on this (project).”

The lone voice in support of the La Osa plant said the board’s action was undercutting the rights of private property owners.

“It kind of appalls me that people stand around holding their cell phones next to their ears when we have hundreds of doctors that say it’ll give you brain cancer and everybody’s worried about a data center that’s 5 miles away,” Miller said. “I really truly believe that all the negativity on these data centers has been from our adversaries around the world. We need them (for) national defense.”

Janet Perez can be reached at jperez@iniusa.org. Please send your comments about this article to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.