Photo Credit: Paloma Ayala
It’s time to take action protect our climate, water, and communities from data centers in Washington
By: Kelly Campbell, Policy Director
The Washington Legislature is considering two bills that would start to put the brakes on Big Tech’s runaway data center proliferation. We need your help now to ensure that meaningful legislation passes this session.
Data centers are the largest source of expected new electricity demand in the Pacific Northwest, with the greatest impact over the next few years. This massive energy demand adds challenges to achieving our climate and clean energy goals, keeping the lights on, and ensuring affordable utility bills. And data centers aren’t just hungry for power; they consume a huge amount of water as well, presenting risks to salmon recovery, clean water, and healthy rivers. Many of the current and proposed data centers in Washington are located along the Columbia River.
In this short legislative session, the Washington Legislature is considering bills to regulate data centers by addressing the following:
- Affordability: requiring data centers pay the full costs of their energy use and help fund energy assistance for people living on low-incomes
- Reliability: ensuring data center buildout doesn’t affect keeping the lights on for existing customers
- Transparency: making data centers report their energy and water use
- Clean energy: demanding data centers use clean energy, including closing loopholes to ensure Washington’s 100% clean electricity law applies to data centers
Make your voice heard now to ensure that strong bills move forward to reign in data centers by addressing transparency, accountability, clean energy, and affordability.
SLOW THE ROLL OF PNW DATA CENTERS
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