Washington Lawmakers Urged to Regulate AI Data Centers
An op-ed in The Seattle Times urges Washington state lawmakers to regulate AI data centers due to their significant electricity and water demands. It highlights the negative impacts on utility customers in Grant County and notes a recent one-year moratorium on new data centers enacted by Seattle's Mayor. The article calls for state action to mitigate environmental and economic burdens on residents.
An op-ed in The Seattle Times is urging Washington state lawmakers to take immediate action to regulate the proliferation of large AI data centers, which are described as "hyperscalers." The author argues that without legislative intervention, the environmental and economic burdens, particularly in terms of electricity and water consumption, will disproportionately affect Washington residents. The piece specifically references a data center campus in Quincy, Grant County, which spans nearly 70 acres and consumes hundreds of megawatts of power, leading to higher costs for local utility customers.
The article details the "voracious electrical consumption" and "Niagaras of water" required by these facilities. It cites an example from The Dalles, Oregon, where Google's data centers consume over 400 million gallons of water annually, raising concerns about resource scarcity and potential harm to ecosystems like salmon runs due to warmed water discharge. The author points out that despite the growing opposition from citizens across the political spectrum, particularly in rural areas, state lawmakers have largely been inactive, even providing tax breaks to data center developers.
Local officials are also criticized for offering incentives, with the consequence being an "AI tax" on statewide electrical ratepayers and local water customers who effectively subsidize data center construction. However, the op-ed highlights a local initiative, noting that Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has enacted a one-year moratorium on new large data centers in the city, following public outcry that led two interested companies to withdraw their plans.
The op-ed concludes by calling on state representatives in Olympia to reconsider the relationship between these digital resources and their users. It suggests that lawmakers should start by addressing the explosive electricity and water consumption of large data centers in Central Washington, proposing requirements for renewable power production or mitigation of air and water pollution.