Opinion: Central Washington candidate's data center ties raise water and electricity concerns
An opinion piece links Central Washington congressional candidate Amanda McKinney to data center interests through Super PAC funding. The author raises concerns about data centers' significant water and electricity demands, citing examples from Quincy and Yakima County. If elected, McKinney's policies are questioned regarding how she would manage these resource needs given her energy stance and alleged ties to data center backers.
This opinion piece, published in the Tri-City Herald, shifts from a critique of former President Donald Trump's foreign policy to local political issues in Central Washington. The author highlights congressional candidate Amanda McKinney, noting that Super PACs primarily funded by AI and cryptocurrency interests contributed $2.2 million to her primary campaign. The author speculates this financial support suggests McKinney would be a reliable advocate for data center development.
The article raises significant concerns about the resource demands of data centers, specifically their high consumption of water and electricity. It points out that the Quincy Irrigation District already supplies 798 acre-feet of water annually to existing data centers. Furthermore, as a Yakima County commissioner, McKinney reportedly used American Rescue Plan Act funds to acquire 486 acre-feet of agricultural water rights for new development, which is enough for a medium-large data center or approximately 1,250 households. The author questions whether McKinney would prioritize data center water needs over residential or agricultural demands if elected.
The piece also addresses the substantial electricity usage of data centers, comparing a large facility's consumption to that of a small city. While McKinney opposes wind energy, she supports nuclear power, natural gas, and "U.S. energy dominance." The author challenges McKinney to explain her strategy for powering new data centers without causing electricity cost spikes or where new nuclear power plants would be sited, implying that she would cater to her wealthy supporters. The article concludes with a brief endorsement of Richard Schram for Walla Walla County sheriff.