Chandler, Arizona unanimously rejects proposed $2B AI data center amid backlash over water, noise and power

Summary

WebProNews reports that the city council in Chandler, Arizona voted 7–0 to reject a rezoning request for a proposed US$2 billion AI data‑center complex, despite lobbying from former U.S. senator Kyrsten Sinema on behalf of the developer. ([webpronews.com](https://www.webpronews.com/chandler-az-rejects-2b-ai-data-center-over-water-noise-concerns/)) Residents flooded hearings and council inboxes with objections over 24/7 noise, huge energy loads on an already strained desert grid and the project’s heavy water usage, arguing that promised jobs and tax revenue didn’t justify the environmental and quality‑of‑life costs. ([webpronews.com](https://www.webpronews.com/chandler-az-rejects-2b-ai-data-center-over-water-noise-concerns/)) The facility, linked to Vantage Data Centers and framed as part of America’s bid to stay competitive in AI, became a flashpoint over whether federal AI‑infrastructure ambitions should override local concerns, especially in drought‑prone regions. ([webpronews.com](https://www.webpronews.com/chandler-az-rejects-2b-ai-data-center-over-water-noise-concerns/)) Chandler’s decision follows similar pushback against data centers elsewhere in Arizona and adds to a broader pattern of communities questioning whether the AI boom’s benefits are flowing locally or just leaving them with higher utility bills and industrial noise.