Protect Surprise & West Valley from a 700 MW Gas Power Plant
Takanock LLC wants to build a massive data center complex with 18 jet turbine generators just half a mile from Surprise city limits, in one of the most air-polluted counties in America. The Arizona Corporation Commission approved the environmental certificate. The Board of Supervisors approved the Military Compatibility Permit on May 6, 2026 with conditions. Several regulatory gates remain.
📌 May 6, 2026: Board of Supervisors approved 4-1, subject to conditions a–p. Compliance with the Luke AFB conditions will be demonstrated at the Plan of Development stage, not before. The MCAQD air quality permit and EPA Region 9 review are still pending. Public engagement at each remaining gate is on the official record.
The issue: A 700 MW gas power plant (18 jet turbine generators, 72-foot exhaust stacks, running 24/7) proposed one mile from an active Air Force base and 2,000 feet from family homes, in a county that already fails federal air quality standards. That's what's being decided.
April 28 Update
Glendale City Council unanimously approved the Baccara pre-annexation development agreement.
The vote was limited to the pre-annexation agreement only. It did not address zoning, conditional use, or building permits. At least two council members expressed concerns about the project but voted in favor because the scope of this vote was limited to this procedural step.
The Copper Courier published the most detailed post-vote reporting on Project Baccara, featuring original photography and extended interviews with residents who spoke at and after the May 6 hearing. The piece places the vote in state and national context, citing three primary sources: the Governor's Arizona Energy Promise Taskforce report warning that data center construction is outpacing grid capacity, Pew Research Center data identifying Arizona as one of the nation's leading data center hubs, and ASU preliminary research documenting temperature increases near existing facilities.
The county planning director confirmed the project would place two data centers and a gas power plant approximately 400 feet from about a dozen homes.
"Why would anybody think this would be a good site, so close to homes, so close to the end of a runway." April Butler, whose family has lived in Surprise for six generations
"You can't drink data, you can't eat data." Hollie Tolmachoff, who lives less than half a mile from the proposed site with four children under nine
"I feel that getting to the people that actually make those decisions is very difficult, and having them actually hear our side is really hard in a two-minute window." Beth Mortensen, nearby resident
Butler told the Copper Courier after the vote that the decision would affect her grandchildren for years to come. Tolmachoff said the data being stored is not necessary compared to clean air and available water. The piece also notes 553 emails opposing the project and more than 8,000 petition signatures, compared with five emails in support.
Source: Copper Courier, by Sahara Sajjadi and Zineb Haddaji
On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved the Military Compatibility Permit for Project Baccara (case MCP250007) by a vote of 4 to 1, subject to sixteen conditions labeled a through p. The motion to approve was made by Supervisor Debbie Lesko (District 4, the district where the project is located) and seconded by Supervisor Mark Stewart. Supervisors Kate Brophy McGee, Lesko, Stewart, and Thomas Galvin voted in favor. Supervisor Steve Gallardo voted against.
The Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended approval 8-0 on April 9, 2026. The Board's approval adopts the Commission's recommended conditions, including condition (g), which incorporates the Luke Air Force Base letter of March 13, 2026 by reference, and condition (h), which requires a Military Compatibility Compliance Report demonstrating compliance with each Luke AFB requirement.
Reporting from FOX 10 Phoenix and KJZZ identified the volume of public comment received before the meeting: 553 comments against the project, 5 in support. A staff slide presented at the hearing depicted the geographic distribution of comments within a five-mile radius of the site, showing a small handful of supporters near the parcel and a substantially larger number of opposing comments spread throughout the buffer.
The Berkland letter of March 13, 2026 set the standard as conditional. The project is "not compatible and consistent with the high noise and accident potential associated with LAFB's operations unless the following conditions are met." The Board's approval did not require those conditions to be met before the permit was granted. It required the developer to agree to meet them.
Per condition (h) in the approved permit, the Military Compatibility Compliance Report — the document that demonstrates the conditions are actually met — is submitted "as part of the Plan of Development application and building permits." That stage comes after the Military Compatibility Permit, not before. The developer's acceptance of conditions and the Air Force's affirmation of compliance are not the same thing.
Speaking on behalf of Baccara Eagle Land, LLC, Ed Bull told the Board the project is deemed compatible with Luke AFB and that the company's CEO had responded in writing accepting all of the stipulations in the Berkland letter, as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix. Bull also told the Board, as reported by 12News, that non-compliance with those conditions after a building permit is issued would constitute a violation resulting in shutdown.
Supervisor Gallardo's stated reason for dissent, as reported by KJZZ, was that Luke Air Force Base itself had not confirmed in writing that its concerns were addressed. He noted that the Air Force had not come back to indicate that the conditional standard in the Berkland letter was now satisfied.
Both observations describe the same procedural posture from different positions. The developer accepted the conditions. The Air Force has not affirmed compliance. The compliance demonstration occurs at the Plan of Development stage.
Supervisor Lesko, in remarks reported by FOX 10 Phoenix, framed the scope of the Board's decision narrowly to the Military Compatibility Permit itself rather than a broader question of whether the project belongs at this site.
The Board's vote on May 6 was a major land use decision, but it was not the final approval needed for construction to begin. Several gates remain:
On April 28, 2026, the Glendale City Council voted unanimously to approve Item 17: "Baccara Pre Annexation Dev Agreement." The vote was limited to the pre-annexation agreement only. It did not address zoning, conditional use, or building permits. At least two council members expressed concerns about the project but voted in favor because the scope of this vote was restricted to this procedural step.
Under Arizona law (A.R.S. § 9-500.05), a municipality can enter into a development agreement for property outside its city limits. The agreement locks in the terms under which the property will be developed once annexed: permitted uses, zoning, infrastructure, water and sewer service, and the annexation timeline itself. The agreement does not annex the property on its own, but it sets the legal framework for annexation to follow.
The Baccara site sits in unincorporated Maricopa County, just outside the boundaries of both Surprise and Glendale. For over a year, community opposition focused on the county permitting process: the air quality hearing, the April 9 Planning and Zoning Commission hearing, and the May 6 Board of Supervisors vote. None of that engagement was directed at Glendale, because Glendale was not part of the conversation.
With the pre-annexation agreement approved, long-term permitting and land use oversight could eventually shift from the county to Glendale. Glendale has annexed dozens of parcels along the Loop 303 corridor over the past several years, converting agricultural land to industrial zoning. Annexation would also give the developer access to Glendale's municipal water and sewer system.
This did not affect the May 6 Board of Supervisors vote on the Military Compatibility Permit. Both processes proceeded in parallel.
On March 13, 2026, Brigadier General David J. Berkland, Commander of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, sent a three-page letter to Maricopa County Planning and Development regarding Project Baccara, case MCP250007. The letter finds the project "not compatible and consistent with the high noise and accident potential associated with LAFB's operations unless the following conditions are met."
The letter was included as an exhibit in the Planning and Zoning Commission staff report for the April 9 hearing. It is the first on-the-record assessment of the project by a federal agency responsible for the mission Baccara would sit beside.
LAFB classifies the project as a "utility" under A.R.S. § 28-8461, the Arizona statute that generally restricts utility siting near a military airport. The Commander then lists nine categories of conditions that must be satisfied before the project can be considered compatible:
The letter closes by noting that LAFB "reserves the right to provide further comment."
The April 9 staff report incorporated the Luke AFB conditions by reference. Condition (g) in the recommended approval requires compliance with all Luke AFB conditions. Condition (i) provides that if Luke AFB or the FAA later identifies visual, atmospheric, or electronic interference, the operator must take corrective action or the project is in violation. The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 8-0 to recommend approval subject to those conditions.
Takanock's project website describes Luke AFB as having found the project "compatible." A November 2025 letter-to-the-editor from a project supporter stated that LAFB "indicated support for the project." The March 13 letter uses different language.
On March 13, 2026, the Commander of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB informed Maricopa County that Project Baccara is "not compatible" with base operations unless nine sets of conditions are met. Please do not approve this project without verifying how each of those conditions will be met, monitored, and enforced over the life of the facility.
On April 9, 2026, the Maricopa County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 8-0 to recommend approval of the Military Compatibility Permit for Project Baccara. The recommendation now advances to the Board of Supervisors, which holds final decision authority.
Community members who attended or listened to the hearing reported that residents with data-driven concerns about air quality, noise, and health impacts were given limited time to speak, while supporters of the project spoke at length without providing specific data or citations. Multiple residents said their concerns were dismissed or trivialized by Commission members.
The Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 on May 6, 2026 to approve the Military Compatibility Permit subject to conditions a–p. Supervisor Lesko (D4) made the motion, seconded by Supervisor Stewart. Supervisor Gallardo cast the lone dissenting vote. Read the full analysis in the May 6 update above.
Continued written comments on Plan of Development and ongoing case file matters can be submitted to agenda.comments@maricopa.gov.
The Maricopa County Air Quality Department held its public hearing on the Project Baccara draft air quality permit (F053690 / P0013417) on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Community members testified virtually via Microsoft Teams. The written comment period closed April 8, 2026. MCAQD will review the full hearing record alongside all written comments before issuing a final permit determination.
Concern 1: Thin Margin to Major Source Classification. Takanock is permitted at 89.9 tons of NOx per year, just 10 percent below the 100 tons per year threshold that triggers major source classification. At that level, the facility would face mandatory NOx offset purchases in the nonattainment area, stricter monitoring, and additional federal oversight. A resident review of the permit documents found that doubling propane use to 20 percent of operations, which Arizona summer curtailment conditions can produce, pushes total NOx to 100.7 tons. Read the full permit analysis.
Concern 2: Propane Emissions Are Significantly Higher. The draft permit allows propane as a backup fuel during gas curtailments and periods of high market pricing. NOx limits under propane are 5.0 ppmvd per turbine vs. 2.0 ppmvd on natural gas. During startups and shutdowns on propane, each turbine emits 42.2 pounds of NOx per hour, compared to 9.2 on natural gas. The permit authorizes up to 3,600 startup and shutdown events per year with no limit on how many can occur on propane.
Concern 3: The Air Modeling Excluded Nearby Major Sources. The modeling report states that no nearby sources were expected to contribute to cumulative impact, and therefore none were included. This excluded Luke Air Force Base, the Aligned Data Center on Olive Avenue, and other industrial facilities. Cumulative impacts in a nonattainment area must be evaluated to protect public health.
Concern 4: Best Available Technology. The project proposes Siemens Simple Cycle natural gas turbines. H-Class combined cycle turbines are the industry standard near residential areas and produce substantially lower NOx emissions per unit of power generated.
The ACC approved the environmental certificate 5-0 in February 2026. On March 13, 2026, the Commander of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base sent a letter to Maricopa County finding Project Baccara "not compatible" with base operations unless nine sets of conditions are met. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval 8-0 on April 9, 2026. The Glendale City Council approved a pre-annexation development agreement on April 28, 2026. The Board of Supervisors approved the Military Compatibility Permit 4-1 on May 6, 2026, subject to conditions a–p.
The Berkland letter set the standard as conditional. The Board's approval did not require those conditions to be met before the permit was granted. Per condition (h), the Military Compatibility Compliance Report demonstrating compliance is submitted at the Plan of Development application and building permit stage. That stage comes after the Military Compatibility Permit, not before. Compliance was agreed to. It has not yet been demonstrated.
Several regulatory gates remain. The MCAQD air quality permit and EPA Region 9 review are still pending. The Plan of Development requires Board of Supervisors approval before any construction permits issue, and the Military Compatibility Compliance Report is filed at that stage. Glendale annexation is in process. Each of these is a separate decision under separate statutory authority.
Public engagement before May 6 was substantial. Reporting from FOX 10 Phoenix and KJZZ identified 553 written comments against the project and 5 in support. Over 6,800 residents signed the Stop Project Baccara petition. Over 1,000 members joined the Project Baccara Opposition Facebook group.
The May 6 vote concluded the Military Compatibility Permit gate. Other gates remain. The MCAQD air quality permit and EPA Region 9 review are pending. The Plan of Development, which is where the Luke AFB Military Compatibility Compliance Report is filed and reviewed, requires Board of Supervisors approval before construction permits issue. Glendale annexation is in process. Each of these is a separate decision under separate statutory authority. See the full status timeline.
Three paths through this site. The May 6 update, ongoing action, and the underlying research.
The five findings that mattered going into the May 6 vote and the procedural posture entering the next gates. Everything in under two minutes.
Read the brief →Email the Board of Supervisors on the Plan of Development, comment on the MCAQD air quality permit, engage EPA Region 9, and track the Glendale annexation process. Every action is on the record.
See what you can do →Eight cited analyses drawn from permit documents, the air quality modeling, the noise study, and public records. For residents, journalists, and officials building the case.
Read the analyses →These articles draw exclusively from permit documents, published science, and public records. Everything is cited and sourced. Best-case assumptions are applied throughout in the developer's favor. The facts speak for themselves.
Everything a Surprise-area resident needs to understand about Project Baccara. The basics, the key findings, the business model, and what comes next at the remaining gates. Shareable.
Read the briefing →A short briefing prepared ahead of the May 6 Board of Supervisors vote. The five findings that mattered, what the record showed, and the procedural posture entering the hearing. Useful as a reference for the analysis behind the May 6 update above.
Read the briefing →The draft permit keeps emissions at 89.9 tons of NOx per year, 10 percent below the major source threshold. We ran the arithmetic from Takanock's own permit tables. Propane use at 20 percent of operations pushes total NOx to 100.7 tons: above the trigger.
Read the analysis →A 45-page operational noise study was filed with the Military Compatibility Permit application in October 2025, prepared by a firm retained by the developer. The study models only continuous full-load operation. It measures ambient noise over a single day in August. Every methodological choice moves the result in the same direction.
Read the analysis →Four natural gas combustion turbine facilities operating or permitted near residential neighborhoods, from SRP's Coolidge plant adjacent to the Randolph community to a Sterling, Virginia data center whose eight turbines sit across the street from single-family homes. What the public record shows.
Read the comparisons →Seven months of actual APS bills show how ambient temperature drives the demand charge on a Time-of-Use plan. APS's own rate filing tells the county what is causing residential costs to rise. Takanock told ABC15 something different.
Read the analysis →Takanock's own press release describes the turbines as "prime power until" a substation is completed, then a "wholesale grid resource." The ACC approved the project on the basis it would not burden ratepayers. The published plan describes a different outcome.
Read the analysis →Takanock and project supporters have made specific claims about emissions, utility bills, and community benefits. Here is what their own data and public statements actually show, checked against primary sources.
Read the fact check →The May 6 Board vote concluded the Military Compatibility Permit gate. Several regulatory gates remain. Here is where engagement still matters.
The Board of Supervisors approved the Military Compatibility Permit on May 6 subject to conditions a–p. The Board still has decision authority over the Plan of Development, which is required before any construction permits can issue. Per condition (h), the Military Compatibility Compliance Report demonstrating Luke AFB compliance is filed at the Plan of Development stage. Every written comment becomes part of the official record.
Email agenda.comments@maricopa.gov to submit comments for the Board's consideration on Plan of Development and ongoing case file matters. All email comments are forwarded to each Board office.
Case Number: MCP250007
The Maricopa County Air Quality Department is preparing its report on the Project Baccara draft air quality permit (F053690 / P0013417) for review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The draft permit caps NOx emissions at 89.9 tons per year, just below the 100 tons per year major source threshold in an ozone nonattainment basin. The MCAQD director told KJZZ on May 6 that the department anticipates EPA approval. Read the permit analysis.
U.S. EPA Region 9 reviews the MCAQD air quality permit. EPA has its own public comment process when it reviews state and local air quality permits. Track for the comment window and submit substantive comments when it opens.
Per conditions (f) and (j) of the approved Military Compatibility Permit, no building permits can issue until the Board of Supervisors approves a Plan of Development upon recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Commission. This is the gate where promised compliance with the Luke AFB conditions becomes demonstrated compliance, or fails to. Track the Maricopa County Planning and Development site for filings on case MCP250007.
The Glendale City Council approved a pre-annexation development agreement on April 28, 2026. Full annexation is a separate process that has not been completed. Once the parcel is annexed, long-term oversight shifts from the county to Glendale. Council meetings are public.
Over 6,800 residents have signed the Stop Project Baccara petition. Cumulative public engagement continues to matter at every remaining gate.
Connect with over 1,000 members in the Project Baccara Opposition Facebook group. Get updates, share information, and coordinate.
What we know about Project Baccara, documented and sourced.
The real impact on our community, with evidence.
Maricopa County is already among the most air-polluted counties in the United States. Adding 18 natural gas jet turbines with 72-foot exhaust stacks will increase emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter in an area where air quality already threatens public health.
The EPA's Clean Air Act requires areas to meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards, Maricopa County has historically struggled with ozone and particulate matter compliance.
Source: American Lung Association
The project is estimated to use nearly 59 million gallons of water annually to cool the 18 power plant jet turbines. In Arizona, where water is a precious and increasingly scarce resource, this consumption is unsustainable.
While Takanock claims they will use cooled chillers instead of evaporative coolers, the city has NOT independently verified these claims.
Source: Change.org Petition
Residents describe the anticipated noise as "the constant hum of jet engine turbines." The facility would operate 24/7, disrupting sleep and quality of life for thousands of families in the surrounding area.
The city has requested noise studies, but no independent verification has occurred.
Source: Blaze Radio
The proximity of a massive industrial facility with exhaust stacks and noise presents a financial threat to homeowners, many of whom have invested their life savings in these homes.
Industrial facilities near residential areas have been shown to depress property values by 10-25% in multiple studies.
Source: Change.org Petition
Data centers generate massive amounts of heat. Combined with 18 natural gas turbines, this facility will contribute to localized temperature increases, worsening an already extreme heat problem in the Phoenix metro area.
Families moved to this area for its rural character and peaceful environment. This massive industrial complex threatens everything they chose this community for.
"Race across the grass, check on our neighbor's cattle and catch toads at sunset. This is the life we hoped for. Project Baccara, planned just a half mile from our home, is threatening all of this." -- Resident testimony
Where the project stands, gate by gate.
APPROVED, ACC voted 5-0 on Feb 4, 2026
Line Siting Committee approved 8-1 in December 2025.
APPROVED 8-0, April 9, 2026 (recommendation to Board of Supervisors)
The P&Z Commission recommended approval. This is a recommendation only. The Board of Supervisors made the final land use decision.
APPROVED unanimously, Glendale City Council, April 28, 2026
The agreement sets the legal framework for Glendale to annex the parcel. The annexation itself has not occurred. Once it does, long-term oversight shifts from the county to Glendale.
APPROVED 4-1, May 6, 2026, subject to conditions a–p
Motion by Supervisor Lesko (D4), seconded by Supervisor Stewart. Ayes: Brophy McGee, Lesko, Stewart, Galvin. Nay: Gallardo. Conditions (g) and (h) incorporate the Luke AFB letter and require a Military Compatibility Compliance Report at the Plan of Development stage. See the analysis.
PENDING, Maricopa County Air Quality Department
The draft permit caps NOx emissions at 89.9 tons per year, just below the 100 tons per year major source threshold in an ozone nonattainment basin. The MCAQD director told KJZZ on May 6 that the department is preparing its report on the permit for review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Read the permit analysis.
PENDING, federal review of MCAQD permit
EPA Region 9 reviews state and local air quality permits and runs its own public comment process during that review.
PENDING, required before construction permits issue
Per conditions (f) and (j) of the approved Military Compatibility Permit, the Board of Supervisors must approve a Plan of Development upon recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Commission. The Military Compatibility Compliance Report demonstrating Luke AFB compliance is filed at this stage. This is the gate where promised compliance becomes demonstrated compliance, or fails to.
PENDING, separate process from the April 28 pre-annexation agreement
A separate annexation proceeding is required to formally bring the parcel into Glendale's city limits. Until that occurs, the parcel remains in unincorporated Maricopa County.
Q3 2026 target (Takanock)
Building permits cannot issue until the Plan of Development is approved and required local fire protection and emergency service confirmations are obtained per condition (f).
The Board's May 6 approval was a major land use decision, but it was scoped to the Military Compatibility Permit. The remaining gates each operate under separate statutory authority and run their own decision processes:
None of these gates are bound by the May 6 outcome. Each one is its own decision.
Know the facts when the conversation gets hard. Click to expand.
On March 13, 2026, Brigadier General David J. Berkland, Commander of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB, sent a three-page letter to Maricopa County on this project. The letter is in the county's MCP250007 case file. It finds the project "not compatible" with base operations unless specific conditions are met.
Takanock's project website describes Luke AFB as having found the project "compatible." A November 2025 letter-to-the-editor from a project supporter stated that LAFB "indicated support for the project." The March 13 letter uses different language.
The developer claims approximately 100 permanent jobs and $50 million in tax revenue. But at what cost?
The question here isn't whether economic development matters. The question is whether this site, one mile from an active Air Force base, surrounded by family homes, in one of the most air-polluted counties in America, is appropriate for a 700 MW gas power plant. The Board applies that standard to every project. It denied a $3.2B BNSF logistics hub on the same grounds.
The "bring your own power" model is being marketed as a benefit, but it comes with significant downsides:
The site is zoned IND-3 (industrial), but the reality is more complicated:
Just because something can be built somewhere doesn't mean it should be.
The ACC approval was narrow in scope and didn't address all concerns:
"The air quality issues in this area concern me immensely. To add a power plant to this populated area is not the right move." -- Margaret Little, Committee Member (voted against)
Community opposition has stopped similar projects before, in Arizona and across the country:
The petition has 6,800+ signatures. The Facebook group has 1,000+ members. People are showing up. This is how projects get stopped.
Make your voice heard at every level.
Voting April 28 on a Baccara pre-annexation development agreement. The agreement was approved unanimously. The council needs to continue hearing from the community as annexation proceeds.
Contact CouncilFinal approval authority. Your district supervisor needs to hear from you.
Find Your SupervisorPush for formal opposition resolution. The project is half a mile from city limits.
Contact CouncilAG Mayes has pursued legal challenges against other controversial projects. Make her aware of community concerns.
Contact AGRequest independent air quality impact assessment.
Contact MCAQDState representatives can apply pressure and propose protective legislation.
Find LegislatorsSend to Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and Planning and Development.
Dear [Supervisor Name / Planning and Development],
I am writing to express my strong opposition to Project Baccara, the proposed data center and 700 MW natural gas power plant planned for the Bullard Avenue and Olive Avenue area in unincorporated Maricopa County.
While the Arizona Corporation Commission has approved the Certificate of Environmental Compatibility, significant concerns remain that must be addressed before any county permits are issued:
Air Quality: Maricopa County is already among the most air-polluted counties in the United States. Adding 18 natural gas jet turbine generators with 72-foot exhaust stacks will worsen air quality for thousands of residents. Line Siting Committee member Margaret Little voted against the project specifically because "the air quality issues in this area concern me immensely."
Water Usage: The project is estimated to use approximately 59 million gallons of water annually. In a water-scarce desert environment, this consumption must be independently verified and scrutinized.
Community Impact: The nearest residents are approximately 500 meters from the site. Over 6,800 people have signed a petition opposing this project. Similar data center projects were rejected in Chandler and Tucson after community opposition.
I urge you to:
1. Require independent air quality, noise, and water impact studies, not just developer-provided assessments
2. Hold public hearings with adequate notice and accessibility
3. Consider the cumulative impact on a region that already struggles with air quality compliance
4. Deny the Military Compatibility Permit and Plan of Development until all concerns are addressed
This project may bring some jobs and tax revenue, but not at the cost of our air quality, water resources, property values, and quality of life.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Email]
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