Key Notes
- SpaceX estimates investment of up to $50 billion for its proposed Arizona AI campus.
- The application lists about 5,500 construction workers at peak and 1,000 permanent roles at full buildout.
- The 6GW proposal still needs county approval and a final electricity service agreement.
SpaceX (Nasdaq: SPCX) is proposing an AI supercomputer campus in southern Arizona with an estimated investment of up to $50 billion, extending its computing ambitions into a rural county where the project still needs land-use approval and a final electricity agreement.
The plan covers roughly 747 acres near Cochise and envisions demand for about 6 gigawatts of electricity at full buildout. Riley Trettel, who leads energy and supercomputer development at SpaceX, put the potential investment at up to $50 billion during a November 4 community meeting.
The employment figures span two stages: around 5,500 construction workers at peak and approximately 1,000 permanent operations, security and maintenance roles once the campus is fully built, including on-site contractors.
A 6GW Campus Built in Phases
Tombstone Resources LLC filed the application for the campus, which would sit along Highway 191 beside land belonging to Apache Generating Station. Up to nine computing buildings would be developed in four phases, with battery storage, cooling equipment and other supporting infrastructure.
The 6GW figure describes projected electricity demand, rather than power already secured. Cochise County says the proposal remains under review and that the applicant’s estimates have not been independently verified or endorsed by the county.
Construction would be a multiyear undertaking. The application anticipates roughly 250 operating staff when the first buildings open, rising toward 1,000 at full buildout. Its larger construction workforce would be moved mainly by shuttles from off-site parking areas.
Electricity Terms Still Need Agreement
Serving a campus of that size would require major grid work. The applicant lists about $3.6 billion in transmission and substation upgrades that it says would be transferred to Arizona Electric Power Cooperative at no cost to its members.
Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative, the prospective retail electricity provider, said on November 5 that no final service agreement had been reached. Any agreement must undergo Arizona Corporation Commission review and approval.
The cooperative’s negotiating priorities include assigning project-related costs to the developer, establishing financial safeguards and protecting reliable service for existing customers. Proposed bill credits and community contributions remain subject to negotiations and approvals.
SpaceX’s AI Expansion Carries a Large Funding Bill
For SPCX shareholders, the Arizona proposal adds to a computing expansion already backed by substantial financing commitments. SpaceX’s GPU financing drew attention last month as the company sought more hardware for its terrestrial AI infrastructure.
In an October 26 announcement, SpaceX described a binding commitment for an approximately $40 billion master finance lease with an Apollo-managed entity. It would fund Nvidia (Nasdaq: NVDA) Vera Rubin chips and related equipment, with deliveries expected in the first half of 2027.
That release did not earmark the lease for Arizona. The campus’s estimated investment and the wider GPU financing should therefore not be added together as a confirmed budget for this site.
The next land-use decision is scheduled for December 9, when Cochise County’s Planning and Zoning Commission will consider the application at a public hearing in Bisbee. Commissioners can approve it, impose conditions or deny it.
