The two actions put water-use policy and data-center development under review as Scottsdale considers how future growth could affect demand for water. The large-water-user initiative could shape requirements for future high-water-use development, while the standards review concerns how data-center projects are evaluated in the city.

What happens next

The city’s review of data-center development standards is the next identified step. The announcement did not specify which standards are being examined. It also did not state the final text of the proposed large-water-user ordinance, an enactment date or the council vote tally, so the initiative should not be treated as an enacted law.

Mayor Borowsky and the council are the identified city officials leading the two policy actions. Any future ordinance or revised development standards could affect the approval and planning of projects with substantial water demand, including data centers, but the announcement did not describe specific thresholds or restrictions.

The rules set requirements for where large data centers can be built and how proposed facilities must address water, electricity, noise, screening, utilities and public notice. The ordinance gives Birmingham a local framework for an industry that can require substantial land, power and cooling infrastructure.

Eligible sites must contain at least 5 acres. A data center must also be set back 500 feet from residential or urban neighborhood districts and separated by 1,000 feet from high-capacity transit facilities.

Water and power requirements

The ordinance places a specific limit on cooling systems. Facilities must use closed-loop cooling, with water consumption no greater than that of a similarly sized office building.

The rules also prohibit on-site gas-turbine power and 24/7 diesel-generator power. Solar power, fuel cells and battery storage are addressed separately under the ordinance.

Applicants must provide projections for the facility’s electrical demand. That requirement gives city officials information about the expected load before a project moves through the development process, although the ordinance announcement does not identify a citywide cap on data-center electricity use.

Notice and public response

Developers must notify property owners within 500 feet by certified mail. The ordinance also includes conditions covering noise, landscaping, utilities and other community-protection measures.

The City of Birmingham described the measure as establishing 20 community protections. The Alabama Reflector reported that the council acted after a public hearing and approved the ordinance by a 6-3 vote.

The measure drew criticism during the approval process. The Alabama Reflector reported concerns from residents and environmental groups, including objections related to the removal of special-exception requirements for compliant hyperscale data centers.

That distinction matters because the ordinance establishes conditions for qualifying development rather than banning data centers across Birmingham. A project would still have to meet the new site, setback, cooling, power, notification and other requirements, but the city’s announcement does not say that the rules eliminate future construction.

What the ordinance means for Birmingham

The new standards place neighborhood distance, water consumption and energy demand at the center of the city’s approach to data-center growth. The 5-acre minimum and large separation distances could affect which parcels are eligible, while the cooling and power provisions address infrastructure concerns that can extend beyond a project’s property line.

For nearby property owners, the certified-mail requirement creates a defined notice area around a proposed facility. For the city, electrical-demand projections and the limits on certain on-site power systems provide information and operating restrictions as officials evaluate development proposals.

The council’s approval is the central action announced June 9. The City of Birmingham announcement does not state the ordinance number or an effective date.

The withdrawal is a change in the proposal’s status, but it is not a final decision on whether a data center can be developed at the property. The available coverage does not show that Hoffman Estates approved or rejected the project, and it does not establish that the proposal was permanently canceled.

What changed on July 2

The rezoning proposal had been under discussion in village planning and board proceedings. Contemporaneous coverage reported that the proposal was withdrawn on July 2, 2026, ending the immediate application process.

A related resolution could potentially be refiled, according to coverage of the village’s development proceedings. The sources do not provide a timetable for a new filing or describe what changes a revised proposal might contain.

That leaves the local land-use issue unresolved. The current proposal is no longer moving through the immediate application process, but the possibility of a new filing means the broader data-center debate remains open in Hoffman Estates.

Concerns raised during village discussions

Residents raised questions about the potential environmental effects of the proposed development, including its possible water use. They also raised concerns about infrasound and transparency in the process.

Village officials and residents discussed those concerns at the July 6, 2026, village board meeting, four days after the withdrawal was reported. The meeting discussion did not amount to approval or rejection of the data center, based on the available source material.

The concerns are significant because the proposal involved a local rezoning and a potential change in land use. Questions about water, environmental effects and transparency would be part of the practical public discussion surrounding any future application, although the sources do not establish the project’s expected impacts.

The available material does not establish the proposed site’s exact acreage, projected power demand or estimated water use. Those figures should not be treated as settled details of the withdrawn proposal.

What happens next

For now, there is no reported timetable for a replacement application or revised resolution. A future filing could bring the proposal back before the village, but the sources do not say whether one will be submitted or what terms it would include.

The Office of State Sen. Darby Hills said the senator continued advocating for policies addressing local-community protections and economic development after the withdrawal. That statement places the Hoffman Estates dispute within a wider policy discussion, but it does not alter the current village status of the proposal.

The immediate result for Hoffman Estates is therefore a pause rather than a final resolution. The July 2 withdrawal removes the current rezoning application from active consideration, while the July 6 discussion and the possibility of refiling leave residents and village officials facing the same unanswered questions if a revised proposal returns.

For residential customers, Tier 1 use is exempt because Denver Water treats it as essential indoor water use. The temporary drought charge starts at $1.10 per 1,000 gallons in Tier 2 and rises to $2.20 in Tier 3. For businesses and other nonresidential customers, the board set drought charges on higher-use tiers and irrigation use as well.

The board adopted the drought-pricing resolution on April 8. According to Denver Water, the charges apply to bills dated June 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027, and are added on top of existing water rates. The goal is to push higher outdoor use lower while keeping indoor water affordable.

Who is most likely to pay more

The customers most likely to notice the change are households and businesses with heavy outdoor irrigation. A large yard, frequent sprinkler cycles or summer commercial watering can push a bill into the charged tiers. Everyday indoor use such as showers, laundry and cooking is not what the drought charge is aimed at.

That is also why Denver Water is still enforcing its two-day watering limit. Under Stage 1 drought rules, grass watering is limited to two days per week on assigned days, and that restriction stays in force through April 30, 2027 unless the board acts again. Trees, shrubs and perennials follow different rules.

The broader drought picture

The local billing change comes as Colorado remains under drought stress. Gov. Jared Polis declared a statewide drought emergency on June 4, and Denver Water’s June 15 supply update said reservoir storage was 81% full, below the 95% average for this time of year.

The state declaration did not set Denver Water’s rates, but it does show how widespread the dry conditions are. Denver Water says customers should still watch irrigation schedules, skip watering after rain and avoid overwatering as the summer irrigation season ramps up.

Sources

• Denver Water: 2026 Residential Water Rates
• CBS Colorado statewide drought emergency report

The Reno City Council is scheduled to discuss data center regulations at its April 22 meeting, putting one of the region’s fastest-growing and most resource-intensive land uses in front of city leaders.

For residents, the issue is not abstract. Data centers can mean significant electricity demand, substantial water needs in some designs, and tighter questions about where these projects belong and what conditions should come with them. In Reno, that makes the debate about more than one industry. It is also about planning standards, infrastructure pressure, and how the city balances growth with utility limits.

Why the issue matters locally

Reno already has a policy framework that points toward closer scrutiny of large users. The city’s Energy and Water Efficiency program lays out expectations around resource use and reporting, which helps explain why data centers are landing in the policy spotlight now.

City records also show Reno has tracked the tax-abatement impacts tied to data centers before. That matters because the public discussion is not only about energy and water. It is also about what the city gives up, what it gains, and whether large projects deliver enough local benefit relative to the infrastructure they require.

What the council is weighing

Local reporting from This Is Reno says data center regulations are the main item on the April 22 agenda. At this stage, the key question is not whether Reno has adopted a final rule set. It is what direction the council may want staff and planners to take next.

That could include more explicit review standards for future projects, expectations for utility use, or added development conditions for high-resource facilities. It could also mean a wider policy discussion about where data centers fit in Reno’s growth strategy and how much discretion the city wants to keep over large-scale projects.

Business groups are pushing for balance

EDAWN has argued for a balanced, data-driven approach that protects Reno’s competitive edge. That response shows the debate is not limited to City Hall. Economic development leaders see data centers as part of the region’s business climate, while residents and policymakers are weighing the costs that can come with them.

The practical question for Reno is how to support investment without handing over the city’s most important levers on land use, water, and power. If the council moves toward new rules, they could affect projects already being explored as well as the next wave of applications.

What to watch after Tuesday

Tuesday’s meeting is the immediate checkpoint. Residents, builders, utility watchers, and business owners should pay attention to whether council members ask for stronger standards, more analysis, or follow-up hearings before any rule changes move forward.

Even if the council stops short of immediate action, the discussion itself is important. It signals that Reno is treating data centers as a local policy issue tied to infrastructure, fiscal tradeoffs, and future development patterns, not just another type of commercial project.

Sources

• City of Reno City Council meeting page
• Nevada Public Notices website
• City of Reno Energy and Water Efficiency program
• City of Reno memorandum on sales and use tax abatement impacts
• This Is Reno report on the April 22 council agenda
• EDAWN comment on proposed data center policy