Data center growth in Washington poses a big challenge to energy affordability and reliability, water use, and our climate and clean energy goals. In the next few years data centers are expected to be the largest driver of electricity load growth in the Northwest—requiring enough new electricity to power two to four Seattle-sized cities by 2030. Data centers also consume an extraordinary amount of water for cooling: upwards of 110 million gallons of water for medium-sized data centers (approximately 1,000 households), or up to 1.8 billion gallons for larger “hyperscale” (AI-focused) data centers.

So what are we doing about it?

In 2025, our Oregon team worked to pass the POWER Act, making sure that data centers pay their fair share of grid infrastructure costs and commit to long-term energy contracts.

The Washington Legislature is currently working on a bill to do data right, protecting energy affordability and the environment. E2SHB 2515, an Environmental Priorities Coalition priority, will require data centers to pay for their full infrastructure costs and avoid shifting costs and risks onto everyday ratepayers. House lawmakers have already passed the bill, and it’s currently under consideration by the Senate. 

How does regulating data centers translate to keeping energy affordable? 

The demand for electricity is extraordinary—as noted above, the expansion of data centers is projected to require two to four major cities’ worth of new power by 2030. When utilities need to provide more energy, they have to invest in more electricity infrastructure, and communities across the country are seeing increased household utility costs. Washington’s data centers bill includes provisions to make sure that data centers pay the full costs of their energy usage and any stranded assets, rather than leaving residential ratepayers holding the bag. 

What about water use? That also seems like a big deal. 

Data centers can use water on a massive scale—often hundreds of millions of gallons, or as much as a small city. Data centers use water to cool computer server equipment; in some systems using evaporative cooling, the water is not returned to the local watershed. Requiring data centers to disclose projected water use prior to permitting allows municipalities to better plan for growth, especially when city water systems are designed to provide for residential use, rather than 24 hr industrial cooling needs. Oregon’s POWER Act legislation did not include water transparency regulations; OPB recently reported that Google’s data centers in the small city of The Dalles consume almost a third of the community's entire water supply. 

Are other states acting on data center policy? 

Washington is far from alone in grappling with the rapid growth of data centers and their impacts on communities, utility bills, and the electricity grid. A growing number of states are looking to take action on tax incentives, energy and water use: these states include Alabama, Delaware, Virginia, New York, Wisconsin, Colorado, Georgia, and others. There’s even bipartisan federal action. In 2025, Oregon legislators passed a law aiming to make sure that data centers pay for new power plants and transmission lines.

How can you find information about data center water and energy use and air pollution emissions in Washington?

It is not easy to find! The data centers bill also requires annual public reporting of energy and water use, water effluent, refrigerant chemicals (which can include PFAS), air pollution emissions, and associated water and air permits. The bill also requires up-front disclosure of projected water and energy use before a data center is permitted, to ensure the host community is fully informed of what is coming. These transparency provisions will allow people to understand how data centers may impact their communities, water, air, and salmon.