Council to discuss data center ban next week
The Spokane City Council deferred a vote on a data center moratorium, which was initially added as an emergency ordinance. This decision follows Avista's pause in negotiations with a data center customer over community concerns about water usage and potential electricity rate increases.
Spokane City Council President Betsy Wilkerson expressed concerns about the speed and lack of processing time for a proposed data center moratorium, leading the city council to defer a vote on the emergency ordinance. The discussion is now expected to resume next Monday.
This development comes shortly after Avista, a local energy provider, announced it had paused negotiations with a data center customer that had sought 500 megawatts of electricity. Avista cited community feedback as the reason for its decision, noting widespread concerns regarding the data center's potential water usage and the impact on existing customers' electricity rates.
Avista stated that while negotiations were in early stages and they planned to address these issues, they have taken a step back to ensure concrete assurances. The company intends to focus on structuring contracts to protect current customers and broaden community engagement efforts, working with local government agencies to involve the public in the ongoing data center conversation.