Edged US opens waterless AI data centre in Mesa, Arizona

Edged US has opened a 36 MW data centre in Mesa, Arizona, designed to run without water for cooling.

The facility is in the Phoenix area, where data centre growth has drawn scrutiny over electricity and water use.

Built for artificial intelligence training and inference workloads, the Mesa site can support densities of more than 400 kW per rack with liquid cooling and more than 120 kW per rack with air cooling. It uses ThermalWorks waterless cooling technology and is expected to conserve more than 138 million gallons of water each year compared with conventional data centre cooling systems.

Edged US presented the launch as a response to concerns about resource use in drought-prone markets. Arizona faces particular pressure on water supplies, with groundwater accounting for a large share of the state's overall consumption.

At the opening, the company was joined by Mesa city officials, representatives from the Mesa Chamber of Commerce, local contractor Haydon Building Corp., utility partner Salt River Project, and fibre network provider Light Source Communications. Light Source is the first network provider to build into the facility.

That connection is intended to provide the fibre links needed by customers running compute-heavy and AI-led workloads. The site is less than 20 minutes from central Phoenix, placing it in one of the fastest-growing technology corridors in the US Southwest.

Water focus

Water use has become a central issue for the data centre industry, especially in hot, dry regions where operators have traditionally relied on evaporative cooling. At Mesa, Edged US said its approach removes that demand from the cooling process.

"This marks a major milestone in offering a high-performance environment to power the next generation of heavy compute while protecting local resources. The greater Phoenix region has become one of the most dynamic technology markets in the country," said Bryant Farland, President and Chief Executive Officer of Edged US. "Given Arizona's water pressures, building a data center that requires zero water for cooling isn't just good business. It's the right thing to do for the region's long-term health."

Mesa Mayor Freeman linked the project to the city's broader planning around water supply and growth.

"Mesa has earned a 100-year assured water supply designation because we've made hard choices about how we grow," said Freeman. "Edged US shares our commitment to sustainable growth and built a world-class AI facility that uses zero water. That's not just good for business; that's the kind of partner we want helping us elevate Mesa."

Energy profile

Edged US also highlighted energy efficiency. Its portfolio has an average design power usage effectiveness of 1.15, compared with a global average of 1.54 cited by Uptime Institute. By the company's calculation, that represents a 72% reduction in energy overhead against that benchmark.

Operators of large AI systems have been seeking sites that can handle much higher rack densities than conventional enterprise computing. The Mesa facility is aimed at that demand, with a modular design and cooling options intended to accommodate heavier compute loads.

The launch also carries a local jobs message. The Mesa Chamber of Commerce said the project created hundreds of construction roles, along with permanent technology jobs.

"The Mesa Chamber is proud to welcome Edged US as a vital addition to our business community," said Sally Harrison, President and CEO of the Mesa Chamber of Commerce. "The facility created hundreds of local construction jobs and permanent, high-quality tech jobs. It represents the kind of forward-thinking, responsible investment our region needs."

Network buildout

For connectivity providers, new data centre sites can serve as focal points for broader network investment. Light Source Communications said the Mesa facility was designed from the outset to support demanding compute requirements.

"Edged Phoenix is exactly the kind of anchor tenant that elevates an entire connectivity ecosystem," said Debra Freitas, CEO and Co-founder of Light Source Communications. "From day one, this facility was designed to handle the most demanding AI, high-performance compute workloads. Paired with our state-of-the-art dark fiber network, we're giving hyperscalers and enterprises in the Phoenix market a platform built for the future."

Edged US said it has a gigawatt-scale project pipeline and operating or under-construction sites across North America, including Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Des Moines, Kansas City, and Phoenix.