Opinion: Linn County proposes public-controlled water study for Google's Palo data center project
An opinion article discusses Linn County's draft agreement with Google to fund a $242,000 water-balance study related to the company's proposed data center development near Palo. The county would control the study's scope and conclusions, and the results would be made public.
Linn County's draft agreement with Google would have the company pay for a $242,000 water-balance study by Black & Veatch while giving the county sole control over the study's scope, methodology, analysis and conclusions. The results would be public, an arrangement the writer describes as unusual in data center permitting debates.
The opinion piece argues that the county should maintain that independence during an advisory committee review next spring, including by denying Google advance access to or editing authority over the findings. It urges other counties considering data center projects, including the Palo annexation, to adopt a similar model in which the applicant funds the research but the public controls the data and conclusions.