Data Center Impacts in Arizona:
Policy Solutions for Water and Energy Use
Tuesday, September 30 at 12 p.m. PT
With Arizona now the fourth-largest data center market in the country, data centers pose a myriad of challenges for state policymakers. Significantly expanded demands for electricity threaten electric utilities’ ability to reduce the greenhouse gas pollution that causes climate change; water demands for cooling may strain scarce water supplies; and new costs and economic risks may be imposed on other electric customers.
Projected electricity demand — or load growth — associated with data centers has appeared virtually overnight primarily due to the recent proliferation of artificial intelligence. For example, Tucson Electric Power’s annual energy demand could increase by a staggering 52% in 2035. Left unaddressed, data centers’ loads threaten Arizona’s air quality, climate, and water supplies.
Please join us for our upcoming webinar, Data Center Impacts in Arizona: Policy Solutions for Water and Energy Use on Tuesday, September 30 at 12 p.m. PT. We will present the problem and recommend smart policies for mitigating these impacts.
In the webinar, experts from WRA will:
- Present a summary of the electricity load forecast for data centers in Arizona from the state’s largest utilities: Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP) and Tucson Electric Power (TEP).
- Highlight the potential impacts of new water demand from this data center load growth.
- Provide policy frameworks for protecting customers, ensuring water resources are conserved and encouraging investment in clean, innovative technologies.
- Field questions from attendees on the opportunities and challenges in Arizona to implementing these policies.
With the right policies in place, data centers can catalyze investments in innovative clean energy resources while driving broader system transformation.
Panelists
Deborah Kapiloff
Policy Advisor
As a clean energy policy advisor at Western Resource Advocates, Deborah Kapiloff advocates for policies and programs that reduce emissions in the power and transportation sectors, focusing on decarbonizing utilities throughout the Interior West and accelerating transportation electrification.
Alex Routhier, Ph.D.
Arizona Clean Energy Manager | Senior Policy Advisor
Alex Routhier, PhD., is a senior policy advisor at Western Resource Advocates and manages the clean energy team in Arizona. In this role, he works to expand clean energy, accelerate grid modernization and transportation electrification, and limit greenhouse gas emissions. He works closely with utilities in Arizona – particularly Arizona Public Service, Tucson Electric Power and the Salt River Project – on long-term and integrated system planning.
