Phoenix, Arizona has emerged as one of the most important data center markets in the United States. Driven by affordable power, low natural disaster risk, and the westward migration of enterprise workloads from California, the Phoenix metro area now hosts hundreds of data centers ranging from enterprise edge facilities to hyperscale campuses.
This guide covers what facility managers and data center operators need to know about finding and working with contractors in the Phoenix market.
Phoenix’s Data Center Market Overview
Key Phoenix submarkets include:
- Chandler: Home to Intel’s fab complex and a dense cluster of enterprise/colo data centers
- Mesa/Gilbert: Emerging hyperscale corridor with large campus developments
- Scottsdale: Enterprise data centers serving the financial and healthcare sectors
- Goodyear/Buckeye (west valley): Newer hyperscale sites with large power allocations
- Tempe/Ahwatukee: Legacy enterprise data centers near Sky Harbor Airport
Major operators include Iron Mountain (Phoenix), CyrusOne, Flexential, Cologix, and numerous enterprise-operated facilities. Apple, Microsoft, and major financial institutions have significant presence in the market.
Why Phoenix for Data Centers
- Power pricing: APS and SRP offer competitive commercial rates; Phoenix averages $0.07–$0.09/kWh for large commercial users
- Low earthquake/flooding risk: Favorable for disaster recovery and business continuity facilities
- Growing fiber network: Improved connectivity via CenturyLink/Lumen, Zayo, and frontier fiber routes
- California migration: Businesses leaving CA for lower tax/operating costs drive demand
- Water cooling challenges: Phoenix’s water scarcity drives innovation in dry/adiabatic cooling; contractors with this expertise are in demand
Contractor Specialties in High Demand in Phoenix
Cooling Specialists (High Priority)
Cooling is Phoenix’s #1 data center infrastructure challenge. Summer temperatures exceed 110°F, pushing chillers and cooling towers to their design limits. Contractors who specialize in:
- Evaporative precooling systems
- Airside economization with desert particulate filtration
- High-efficiency chiller plants and cooling towers
- Direct/indirect liquid cooling for high-density AI/GPU workloads
…are in acute demand and command premium rates.
Critical Power
UPS and generator contractors with large-system experience (500 kVA+) are needed for the hyperscale buildout. Generator contractors familiar with paralleling large Cat/Cummins/MTU units for campus-scale power (10+ MW) are particularly valuable.
Electrical
Arizona requires a Contractor’s License from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC). Licensed electrical contractors with data center experience (live-work, high-density, redundant power distribution) are in consistent demand.
Contractor Licensing in Arizona
- Electrical: Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) — CR-11 (electrical) or C-11 (commercial electrical)
- HVAC/Mechanical: ROC CR-39 (refrigeration and air conditioning)
- Low voltage/structured cabling: ROC CR-40 (low voltage systems)
Verify at roc.az.gov.
Finding Data Center Contractors in Phoenix
DataCenterUPS.com maintains a directory of data center contractors serving the Phoenix metropolitan area. Search by specialty or trade category to find UPS, electrical, mechanical, and cabling contractors in Maricopa County.