In Arizona, one of the nation's data center capitals, neighborhoods have started pushing back against data center projects to little avail.

Why it matters: Neighbors say the giant technology centers diminish their quality of life and waste their water, but the residents face an army of lawyers and lobbyists working to push the projects through anyway.

The big picture: Arizona has 98 data centers currently operating and 86 planned or under construction, per the Pew Research Center.

• Grassroots opposition to the projects — with complaints ranging from environmental impacts to aesthetic objections — have become commonplace.
• Yet elected officials almost always approve them. The only successfully thwarted projects in recent memory were a Chandler data center voted down in December and Tucson City Council's August rejection of "Project Blue" (though it's since been revived).

The latest: Project Baccara, a proposed 160-acre technology infrastructure campus north of Luke Air Force Base, would bring two large data centers and a 700-megawatt natural-gas-powered generating station to unincorporated county land near Surprise.

• The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will vote today on a permit the project needs to move forward.

The intrigue: 225 people emailed the county to express opposition in recent months, and more than 4,000 signed an online petition against the project.

What they're saying: "The nearby neighborhoods will bear the burden …reduced property values, increased public risk, and the noise and pollution that will be produced," Roy Dunbar, a Surprise resident and leader of the opposition coalition, told the county's Planning & Zoning commission last month.

Yes, but: The commission on April 9 unanimously recommended Project Baccara move forward.

• Commissioners said the project, which would have an onsite power generating station, would benefit the entire Valley's grid and said the location was ideal for this type of industrial facility.
• The closest neighborhood is about a mile away.

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Many non-Arizonans aren't very familiar with the Valley, but the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) thinks they'd like us if they got to know us.

State of play: GPEC is hoping to raise awareness of the Phoenix area as a destination for businesses and talent with a new campaign featuring the people who know it best.

• The organization's "A New Way to City" campaign tells the stories of businesses that are shaping the Valley in very different ways, from tech companies like semiconductor giant TSMC and AI-powered aviation records startup Bluetail to entertainment destinations like Rebel Lounge and buzzy Thai restaurant Lom Wong.
• Digital and social media ads are running in out-of-state markets, including Chicago, New York and San Francisco, GPEC's senior director of marketing and communications Lindsay Hahn tells Axios.

Zoom in: The campaign is fueled by findings from a survey GPEC conducted in May 2025, and had two components — one for CEOs and executives, and another for the general public.

• The findings included:

👋 Get to know Phoenix: About 45% of respondents weren't familiar with the Phoenix market — awareness was higher among executives — but they tended to view the Valley favorably.

• Perceptions of Greater Phoenix were largely "neutral to slightly positive," and under 10% in both groups viewed the Valley negatively.

What we're watching: Digital ads will run through October, and early next year GPEC will run the surveys again to see if the campaign's messaging has been effective in changing people's perceptions.

Survey says ...

🔥 The Hazen Fire near Buckeye is 10% contained and has burned more than 1,000 acres. (Fox 10)

⚖️ A federal judge permanently blocked Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes' prosecution of Kalshi, ruling that the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission has exclusive authority over prediction markets. (Arizona Mirror)

🚧 Border wall expansion along the Arizona-Mexico border damaged a Native American ground etching thought to be at least 1,000 years old. (Washington Post)

🛝 Golfland Sunsplash in Mesa opened Arizona's tallest waterslide — the 65-foot Riptide. (ABC15)

💨 A campaign to put Arizona's recreational marijuana law back on the ballot is calling it quits. (Capitol Media Services)

You may have noticed a new byline on our "1 big thing" today — meet Zineb Haddaji, who's been working with Axios Phoenix for the past few months.

Zineb is from Tunisia but has spent most of her career in Djibouti, where press freedom is nonexistent and critical reporting about elected officials is not tolerated.

• Read more about the political landscape in her recent story for Project Censored: "No press, no choice: Lessons from Djibouti's scripted election."

State of play: This is the third year we've hosted a Hubert H. Humphrey fellow from ASU.

• The program brings international journalists to the U.S. to develop their skills and networks.

Zoom in: Zineb is laser-focused on giving a voice to everyday people. That's why she took interest in the growing community opposition to data center projects across the Valley.

What's next: She's headed to France next month, where she'll launch a newsletter about Djiboutian politics from afar to ensure her safety and ability to speak freely.

• Together we spent hours digging into these projects, attending public meetings and sharing our findings over coffee at Dialog, my new favorite remote work spot in downtown Phoenix.