Washington can’t afford to wait on data center regulations

Published 1:30 am Friday, March 13, 2026

Big Tech’s artificial intelligence data centers are ballooning across the country, including along the Columbia River.

Laws to protect the greater good have yet to catch up, allowing companies to overbuild and scoop up tax incentives while saddling communities with skyrocketing energy costs and depleted water resources. With the industry’s penchant for secrecy and a know-it-all attitude, we’ve got a recipe for disaster.

That’s why it’s so important that Washington state is considering legislation to protect ratepayers and the environment from these behemoth data centers.

In its original form, House Bill 2515 would require data centers to pay their fair share for energy use and help fund low-income energy assistance; ensure they don’t threaten energy reliability; require them to shift to 100% clean energy in compliance with the Clean Energy Transformation Act; and mandate that data centers report their energy and water use to the state and the public.

As you read this, Big Tech — whose motto is “move fast and break things” — is pushing hard against these common-sense moves.

The case of Google’s data centers in Oregon illustrates why we need leadership from the Washington Legislature.

A few years ago, The Oregonian had to sue to get the city of The Dalles and Google to release basic information about Google’s data center water use. The company fought back hard, claiming that the amount of water they use is a “trade secret.” Then last year, Google drummed up goodwill by paying for the city’s water system upgrade, while simultaneously using close to one-third of the city’s water.

In December 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill introduced by Oregon Rep. Cliff Bentz, a Republican, that would transfer ownership of 150 acres of U.S. Forest Service lands on Mt. Hood to The Dalles, so that the city can triple its reservoir’s capacity to serve data center expansion, without a federal environmental assessment. This presents serious threats to fish and wildlife, including salmon.

This kind of behavior shows why transparency and public reporting are crucial.

We, the public, have a right to know about the amounts of water, energy, and refrigerant chemicals used by data centers, as well as their air pollution. The current bill requires companies to disclose that information about planned data centers before they are permitted, while communities still have time to ensure protections.

The fact that Big Tech will go to such lengths to avoid sharing this information should be a red flag for those of us who care about the Columbia River, salmon, farms, and communities on both sides of the river.

We don’t have time to wait: Big Tech is plowing ahead with data centers in our region.

Washington lawmakers have a chance to pass strong legislation now to end the secrecy, protect consumers, and ensure river communities don’t get unfairly burdened with economic and environmental consequences we have yet to fully understand.

____________

Kelly Campbell is the policy director for Columbia Riverkeeper, an organization that protects and restores the water quality of the Columbia River and all life connected to it. Washington State Standard is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.