In the heart of the Sonoran Desert, water is life—and yet Pima County is pushing forward with a massive data center project that threatens the sustainability of both our water and energy resources. Despite public opposition and a unanimous Tucson City Council vote against annexation, Amazon Web Services' controversial “Project Blue” is still moving forward on 290 acres of unincorporated land.

This data center would consume up to 286 megawatts of power—enough to power tens of thousands of homes—even with its revised closed-loop cooling system. While this system uses less water than originally planned, it still requires significant energy and does not eliminate water usage for non-industrial needs. In a region already battling overdrawn aquifers, every drop matters.

Moreover, the land sale itself is mired in legal and ethical questions. A key condition of the sale was that the property be annexed by the City of Tucson—something that did not happen. Yet the developer is now trying to bypass this condition, effectively ignoring the terms of the agreement and the will of the people.

Tucson residents were left in the dark about this project until it was nearly a done deal, with non-disclosure agreements preventing elected officials from even discussing the details. This lack of transparency—and the rush to push the deal through during the summer recess—has eroded public trust.

We, the undersigned, call on the three members of the Pima County Board of Supervisors who voted to sell this land to reverse course and invalidate the land sale. We urge them to listen to the thousands of community members who are saying loud and clear: Not one drop for data.

Protect our desert. Protect our water. Protect our future. Say NO to Project Blue.

Photo: Mamta Popat/Arizona Daily Star