More than 300 people, most bedecked in red and many holding signs, packed the Oct. 21 Board of Supervisors meeting to express ongoing dismay with Project Blue moving forward. The call-to-audience session, with some interruptions, stretched well over two hours, as speakers invoked Tucson’s “moral courage” and voiced fierce opposition to the proposed data center, citing concerns about water and energy use.
Many dozens of signs were held up at the meeting, including:
“Listen to your constituents. We do not want data centers.”
“Water is life. Not an infinite commodity.”
“Not one drop for data.”
“No means no.”
“Protect our desert.”
Community members filled out all of the seats in the meeting room, crowded into the lobby, and were standing outside the county building. They snapped and waved their signs to express approval of fellow speakers and then clapped, whistled and jumped to their feet between speakers. They also passed around sign-up lists and handed out informational flyers and signs.
Marisol Winfrey Herrera, a member of the No Desert Data Center Coalition noted there was “so much spirit and so much energy” in the room. She reminded the supervisors, “We’re doing this for the land, the water, for our children.”
Winfrey Herrera told the supervisors who voted in favor of Project Blue that if they change their mind, “We won’t shame you. If you change your mind, we will celebrate you.”
Three of the supervisors — Rex Scott, Matt Heinz, and Steve Christy — originally voted in favor of the project. The board voted 3–2 in June to sell a 290-acre parcel of land to Beale Infrastructure, the project’s developer. The massive data center project depended on the city of Tucson to annex the property to supply the water needed to run the facility.
In August, the city voted unanimously against the project. This fall, Beale changed its proposal and is planning to move forward with a cooling method that would use less water. None of the county supervisors who originally backed the project have changed course.
According to a statement from Beale about the continued public resistance against the data center, the company “declines to comment on the Board of Supervisors meeting.”
On Oct. 20, activists with the No Desert Data Coalition also showed up at Heinz’s wine bar, where he was holding a fundraiser, to confront him about his support for the project.
At the supervisors meeting Tuesday, 45 people signed up to speak. The audience frequently burst into applause and cheers after statements. The 20-second or so delay in the video feed meant that the overflow space in the lobby outside would often erupt in applause long after the punch lines were delivered directly in front of the supervisors.
“I don’t know if you’re paying attention to what happened this summer,” said Vivek Bharathan, reminding the supervisors of widespread public outcry against Project Blue.
“We are inspiring other communities,” Bharathan said. He explained that other communities in the country have been reaching out to him and other organizers to learn from Tucson’s opposition.
“Let this be the story of our leadership,” Bharathan said. “Let it be a redemptive story about how you joined with a vast majority of our community.”
He urged the supervisors to change their minds — a frequently invoked request among the participants. Many community members specifically asked Heinz, who represents Ward 2, to change his mind.
“Join us. We’re here,” Bharathan said, opening his arms to sustained applause.
More than one speaker said the community would stand behind supervisors if they faced a lawsuit from Beale.
“Get us out of the secret deal and don’t ever do something like this to us again,” another speaker said.
Others said they’d been having nightmares about the environmental effects of the data center or felt betrayed by the supervisors.
Numerous also said supervisors who support Project Blue would face “electoral consequences.”
Heinz addressed some of the community members in the lobby between agenda items. Ori Green told Heinz she no longer saw the point in talking to him if he wouldn’t budge.
“I’m always happy to engage,” Heinz responded. He said he hadn’t changed his mind, and noted the only way to get out of the contract was if there was fraud.
Green appeared flabbergasted. “I don’t understand how you still think this is good for Tucson,” she said.
One self-identified “proud Republican,” Joel Strabala — who was also wearing red — asked the supervisors to reverse course on Project Blue. He told Arizona Luminaria that he didn’t think Pima County’s energy infrastructure could support a data center. He added that the county’s climate change plan would “make it even harder.”
Other speakers let supervisors know they support the resolution against the Copper World mining project in the Santa Ritas, saying the water usage of both projects was extravagant and destructive.
What can supervisors do?
Supervisor Andrés Cano thanked all the community members who came to talk to the supervisors. Cano said he asked the CEO of Tucson Electric Power to meet with him, but his requests have not been answered.
According to Cano, the data center would require more energy than all the homes in Pima County combined. He said, “The public deserves to hear directly from TEP.” He asked County Administrator Jan Lesher to reach out to TEP so they could address the community.
“We need to hold TEP accountable,” Cano told Arizona Luminaria.
As for what cards the supervisors can play at this point, Cano said, “We can ensure this land sale does not go through. Hire lawyers to reverse course.” But Cano is in the minority on the board, and without another vote, there may not be anything he can do to stop it.
Scott told Arizona Luminaria, “Under the rules of the board, we can only reconsider contracts in certain circumstances.” He said county attorneys have told the board those circumstances are not met in this case.
“I have no interest in reconsidering,” Scott added. “I appreciate the community concerns. I don’t happen to agree. I’m happy this project is moving forward.”
Jen Allen addressed the community speakers directly, saying “I so appreciate everybody who took time off work. I appreciate the growth and the persistence and the movement you are building here. That is power. You are building power and building influence.”
She said this kind of organizing is what the public needs to “push decision makers to do the right thing.”
Allen asked herself: “Am I doing everything I can do?”
Her answer was no.
“I call on my colleagues to please listen to our community. We can change our minds. This is not who we are,” Allen said.
Allen told Arizona Luminaria after the meeting that from a cost-benefit analysis, “moving forward with Project Blue would be a greater cost than the risk of a lawsuit.”
“We can continue to show our colleauges that the most meaningful leadership decision they can take would be to change their mind,” Allen added.
When the call to public ended and the meeting moved on, community member Patrick Diehl suddenly stood and interrupted the proceedings.
“It is time to occupy the site,” he said.
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