As electricity costs climb across the country, experts say Arizona is not immune, and one energy-hungry industry is playing a growing role in those higher bills.
Data centers, which power everything from streaming movies to artificial intelligence, consume massive amounts of electricity. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports the nationwide average residential electricity rate rose more than six percent over the last year, while Arizona saw an increase of nearly two percent from May 2024 to May 2025.
In Tucson, the proposed “Project Blue” data center promised jobs and tax revenue but drew strong opposition over water use, secrecy, and long-term power demand…