SpaceX가 미국 애리조나주 농촌 지역에 6GW 규모의 AI 데이터센터 계획을 추진하는 것으로 알려졌다.

SpaceX is reportedly behind a proposed 747-acre AI data center and battery storage campus near Cochise, Arizona, following a packed community meeting on Wednesday. The project would draw an estimated 6 gigawatts at full build-out, adding to the company's growing AI compute footprint.

Cochise County says the application came from Tombstone Resources L.L.C. for a supercomputer and AI data center campus along U.S. Highway 191. According to the applicant's filing, the plan includes up to nine computing buildings built in four phases, plus battery storage, electrical, cooling and supporting infrastructure.

The land is currently zoned rural, so the project requires a Special Use Authorization from the county. Cochise County notes that the figures come from the applicant and have not been independently verified.

Tombstone Resources' town hall notice, posted by the county, said SpaceX would host the Wednesday meeting at Cochise Elementary School. KVOA reported that SpaceX confirmed there that it is behind the proposal, and that a company representative said the application was filed under another name because having SpaceX on it "draws attention" from outside the county.

Tucson's KOLD also reported that SpaceX hosted the meeting, while noting that the exact relationship between SpaceX and Tombstone Resources is unclear.

According to KVOA, the campus would sit near the Apache Generating Station, about 13 miles from Willcox. SpaceX said the site would use dry cooling, relying on air instead of water, and the application estimates about 1,000 permanent jobs.

Opposition has been building. KJZZ reported that more than 1,000 people had signed a petition against the proposal ahead of the meeting.

Cochise County's Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on December 9 in Bisbee. The commission has the final say unless its decision is appealed to the Board of Supervisors.

Elon Musk has argued that orbital compute will outpace Earth data centers, and SpaceX has been pushing toward AI compute in space. For now, however, the company still needs ground-based capacity, as seen in its AI hosting deal earlier this fall.

Should a 6 GW AI campus be built in rural Arizona, or should SpaceX look elsewhere?