For many, 2026 is the year data centers “entered the chat.” With artificial intelligence companies driving an increase in the massive warehouses full of servers, communities are scrutinizing the significant energy loads and, in some cases, water usage that data centers require.
The debate recently came to Spokane after Avista Utilities disclosed that it was reviewing a request from a large customer seeking up to 500 megawatts — equivalent, as the Spokesman-Review reported, to more than half the power needs for all residential and commercial businesses in Spokane County.
Avista confirmed the project is a data center. It’s not clear where it might be built in the utility’s Eastern Washington and North Idaho service area. The project would require permits and permission from various regulatory agencies before moving forward…