neutrality
Data centers in Washington are jeopardizing the state’s green energy goals
Washington's push for carbon neutrality by 2030 is at odds with tax incentives promoting energy-intensive data centers, which strain the power grid and threaten green energy efforts.
Lulu Ramadan and Sydney Brownstone report for The Seattle Timesin partnership with ProPublica.
In short:
- Grant County's data centers, drawn by cheap hydroelectricity, now consume more power than any other local sector, leading to an energy crunch.
- The state’s hydropower is finite, forcing counties to use unspecified, often carbon-emitting, energy sources to meet rising demand.
- Legislative efforts to study data center energy consumption were vetoed, leaving gaps in understanding their impact on the power grid.
Key quote:
“Our existing hydro system is pretty much tapped out. So you’ve got a dilemma of how you’ll meet this additional load from data centers with clean resources or, frankly, with any resources.”
— Randall Hardy, energy consultant and former administrator of Bonneville Power Administration.
Why this matters:
Balancing economic growth and environmental goals is critical as data centers increase energy demand, potentially undermining the state's commitment to green energy and leading to higher electricity rates and reliability issues.
What climate neutrality will cost Germany
Is carbon neutrality the silver bullet fashion has been hoping for?
The industry's carbon footprint is under increasing scrutiny, but critics argue that offsetting lessens guilt rather than reducing harm.