SpaceXAI Proposes 6GW Data Center Campus in Cochise County, Arizona

SpaceXAI, an affiliate of Elon Musk's companies, is seeking zoning approval for a large data center campus in Cochise County, Arizona. The proposal covers two parcels totaling 747 acres near the Willcox Playa, a dry lake about 80 miles east of Tucson. The land is currently owned by power firms Arizona Electric Power Cooperative and Southline Transmission LLC.

The application, filed through affiliate Tombstone Resources LLC, requests a special development permit from the county. According to the filing, the campus could eventually include up to nine buildings of roughly 493,000 square feet each, delivered in four 1.5GW phases, for a claimed total draw of 6GW at full build-out. Construction would start in March 2027 if zoning is granted. The company says compute availability depends on grid upgrades, which it plans to fund, including about $500 million for phase one within a broader $3.6 billion power infrastructure outlay.

The site sits next to AEPCO's Apache Generating Station and would include a 24GWh battery storage system to smooth demand. The county will decide the zoning request at a December 9 meeting. Industry observers note that securing AI accelerators and cooling equipment may be a bigger hurdle than power.

For developers and lenders, the case shows how large power-driven projects are tied to utility upgrades and county permitting timelines.