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.
Yavapai County
Mixed Data Center Policies
Arizona’s rules include equipment-tax benefits for qualifying data centers, but an enacted three-year restriction blocks new tax-relief applications; some descriptions nevertheless use prospective wording. Planning requirements and seasonal limits on local construction-noise restrictions also affect projects.
Rating and summary from Arizona statewide as there are no scored current or future laws outside temporary restrictions for Yavapai County.
Specific to Yavapai County only.
pending · Unincorporated areas subject to the Yavapai County Planning & Zoning Ordinance; not city or town zoning jurisdictionsWould prohibit data centers in most zoning districts, allowing them only in heavy-industrial areas with county approval and requiring limits on site coverage plus studies of noise, power, and water.Yavapai County TA-26-1000 — Data Centers and Small Modular Reactors Zoning Amendment
What this means
Prospective effect only: the proposal would materially constrain siting and increase approval burdens through M2-only conditional use permits and additional studies. No current legal effect is attributed to the pending draft.
People behind it
- Matt Blake
Development Services Planning Unit Manager and author of the October 8 memorandum presenting TA-26-1000
- Susan Hebert
Development Services staff contact listed on the amendment case page
Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements2
Conditional proposal: excludes data centers from districts other than M2 and requires use permits.
Conditional proposal: imposes 30-percent lot coverage and noise, power-grid and water-resource studies.
Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions1
Conditional proposal: preserves an M2 use-permit pathway rather than an absolute countywide ban.
Sources
Specific to Yavapai County only.
failed · County measureWould require Arizona counties with more than 125,000 residents to designate land for data centers in their comprehensive plans without preventing their construction or operation.Arizona HB2452 (2026)
What this means
This would require counties with more than 125,000 people to plan for where data centers can be built, and the plan must not effectively prevent their use (designations shall be sufficient). That could make it easier to find land for data centers, but it does not provide funding or guarantee project approval, so the benefit is moderate.
People behind it
- Justin Wilmeth
Prime sponsor and introducer of HB 2452.
Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions2
A county’s comprehensive plan may include studies and recommendations on electric-power production and demand, expressly including data centers; this is optional, not required. The plan may include studies and recommendations
Counties with populations over 125,000 must designate land in their comprehensive plans for data center construction and operation, with designations sufficient not to prevent or prohibit effective use of land for those purposes. Other counties may include this planning. Counties meeting the population threshold must amend their plans within two years of the act’s effective date. Designations shall be sufficient
Sources
Data provided by Regbase · Cookie preferences · Report missing data