SpaceX는 코치스 카운티 윌콕스 인근에 747에이커 규모의 AI 데이터센터를 제안했으며, 지역 주민들의 반응은 엇갈리고 있다.
COCHISE COUNTY — A packed community meeting at Cochise Elementary School on Wednesday evening drew roughly 275 residents to learn about a massive proposed development that could dramatically reshape the rural landscape near Willcox. During the meeting, SpaceX officially confirmed that it is behind a proposed 747-acre artificial intelligence data center campus and battery energy storage system in the area.
The project is proposed on rural-zoned land near the Apache Generating Station along U.S. Highway 191, about 13 miles outside Willcox and near the unincorporated community of Cochise. According to a special use authorization application filed under the name Tombstone Resources LLC, the facility would include up to nine data center computing buildings. At full build-out, the campus would require up to 6,000 megawatts, or six gigawatts, of electricity, making it one of the largest proposed data center developments in the country by power demand. SpaceX representatives said they used the Tombstone Resources LLC name on the application because using the SpaceX name immediately draws outside attention.
The application and company representatives highlighted several potential local benefits, including thousands of construction jobs, about 1,000 permanent positions, and the potential to lower electricity bills for customers of the Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative. Riley Trettle, head of SpaceX's energy and supercomputer department, told attendees during breakout sessions that the company intends to source permanent employees locally from the surrounding area.
The meeting also drew fierce opposition and sharp questioning from many local residents concerned about the development's massive scale and its long-term impact on the rural community. Some residents supported the project as a step toward technological progress, while others argued that the community lacks sufficient information. Several expressed skepticism about the promised local job numbers and the transparency of the application process.
Key community concerns included electricity demand, potential noise, wildlife impacts, and water use. To address water concerns, the application outlines a dry-cooling system that uses air instead of water to cool the computers. It also states that the facility will not pump groundwater from the Willcox basin for industrial or non-drinking needs, and it estimates that total water usage at full build-out would be equivalent to the consumption of roughly 20 to 30 Arizona homes. Despite these assurances, many residents remain worried about the potential strain on local resources and about environmental unknowns.
Jason Bowling, CEO of Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative, said public sentiment is divided. He emphasized that both excitement and concern are valid, and that the community needs to let the facts emerge so residents can evaluate the project independently.
No formal decision has been made on the project. Construction is slated to begin immediately if the special use authorization is approved. The Cochise County Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a formal public hearing on the proposal on Dec. 9 at 4 p.m., where the commission will review the request.