The Data Center Divide
A policy snapshot ahead of the 2026 midterms. Mapping data center incentives, restrictions, and bans through legislation, regulations, and executive actions across all 50 states and 1,462 local jurisdictions.
Town of Gilbert
Neutral Data Center Policies
Maricopa County’s zoning update allows data centers with backup power in IND-2 and IND-3 zones subject to a development plan; the description also mentions water-efficiency requirements in a Harquahala proposal.
Rating and summary from Maricopa County as there are no scored current or future laws outside temporary restrictions for Town of Gilbert.
pending · Town of GilbertRequires Gilbert officials to revise proposed rules on where data centers can be built and how they manage noise, lighting, and water use.Gilbert Z26-01 — Proposed Data Center Land Development Code Amendment (2026)
People behind it
- Sal DiSanto
Planner II presenting the Z26-01 data-center text amendment.
Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements4
Conditional August proposal: special-use permits cover primary and ancillary uses, and PAD modifications or deviations are unavailable.
Conditional August proposal: buildings and equipment require 400-foot property-line setbacks and 650 feet from residential General Plan designations. These are historical draft figures, not adopted standards.
Conditional August proposal: open-loop evaporative cooling is prohibited. The August potable-water proposal is not treated as the latest text because subsequent reporting describes revised accessory-center treatment.
Conditional August proposal: require sound studies, equipment screening, and pre-application neighborhood meetings.
Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions2
Conditional August proposal: expressly permits primary facilities in LI and GI industrial districts, subject to special-use review; this is an approval pathway, not a financial incentive.
Conditional August proposal: recognizes accessory data processing and storage facilities incidental to a principal non-data-center use, subject to size, service and location restrictions.
Sources
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