Spokane West Plains data center talks raise community concerns
Community members and local leaders in Spokane County, Washington are debating a proposed data center in the West Plains, raising concerns about tax breaks, infrastructure costs, and environmental impacts. Residents are advocating for a moratorium on development to allow for more public review and transparency. Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown has also expressed concerns regarding the data centers' high electricity and water consumption and potential for insufficient economic return.
Residents of Spokane County, Washington, and local leaders are actively debating a proposed data center development in the West Plains, with significant community concerns emerging over transparency, potential tax breaks for developers, and the financial burden of new infrastructure. Brittany Anderson, a Spokane resident, highlighted the unifying nature of the issue and called for a moratorium to ensure public review and transparent access to facts, citing concerns about land impacts and wildfire risk.
Commissioner Al French confirmed that multiple data center developers have approached him about building in the West Plains, though they have yet to meet all necessary metrics, including power and water requirements. French indicated that Spokane County is researching best practices from other communities to integrate protections, such as a proposed ordinance mandating developers cover infrastructure expansion costs, rather than shifting them to taxpayers or utility customers. He also mentioned considering existing public protections like a 65-decibel noise limit at property lines, similar to airport regulations.
Mayor Lisa Brown has communicated with state representatives, arguing against tax breaks for local data centers, emphasizing their substantial electricity and water usage, and questioning the return on investment for job creation. Documents uncovered by Anderson through a public records request revealed these concerns and also showed an email from a consulting firm to the city of Spokane seeking tax incentive exemptions. Local utilities Inland Power and Avista have confirmed they are exploring the energy demands for the potential data center project and are working with stakeholders to address concerns about customer protections and large load requests. French also noted that some community objections appeared to be AI-generated.