Large data center proposals face power limits in Tri-Cities, Washington
Large data center proposals in Washington's Tri-Cities face significant electricity supply challenges due to federal "preference power" restrictions and the state's Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA). Developers cannot rely on low-cost federal hydropower beyond a 10 MW threshold and must secure expensive, carbon-free backup power, making large-scale projects difficult and speculative.
Rick Dunn, general manager of Benton PUD, states that large-scale data center development in Washington's Tri-Cities area faces significant electricity supply limitations, making such projects difficult and highly speculative. Concerns about land, water, and electricity use for data centers have grown, particularly regarding grid reliability and retail rates for local utilities in the Tri-Cities.
Dunn identifies two primary reasons for these limitations. First, the region's public utilities, as