Idaho advances bill on data center water consumption

The Idaho Senate Resources & Environment Committee recently endorsed House Bill 895, a significant piece of legislation aimed at regulating water consumption by future data centers in the state. The bill, which had previously passed the House with a 58-10 vote, stipulates that data centers built on or after July 1 must design their cooling functions for non-consumptive water use or draw water from established municipal or water district systems. According to the bill's purpose statement, this measure is critical for preserving Idaho's finite water resources, particularly in a high-desert state, ensuring their continued availability for vital existing sectors like agriculture and industry. The Idaho Department of Water Resources director will be responsible for evaluating new water appropriations or transfers for data centers against these criteria. Rep. Britt Raybould, a co-sponsor, explained that the legislation encourages the adoption of closed-loop, non-consumptive cooling systems. The Idaho Conservation League, represented by Cynthia Gibson, voiced strong support for HB 895, recognizing it as a proactive and necessary step to protect the state's water resources from the significant environmental impacts of data centers. In a related legislative development, the Senate State Affairs Committee also endorsed House Bill 911. This separate bill, which passed the House 65-3, mandates that any new electricity load reaching a statutory threshold, such as that required by large data centers, must receive service only under a Public Utilities Commission-approved contract. Such contracts would be subject to a 'no-harm test' to assess potential rate impacts on existing customers, addressing broader infrastructure concerns related to data center development.