rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/letter/stop-avistas-ai-data-center?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-letter-area-stop-avistas-ai-data-center' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> 350 Spokane https://actionnetwork.org/groups/350-spokane https://actionnetwork.org//images/generic_facebook.jpg In May, 2026, Avista Utilities signed a non-binding memorandum with an undisclosed developer for a colossal data center project. The proposed data center would draw an initial 125 megawatts of power by 2029, scaling up to 500 megawatts by 2032. To put this in perspective, that amount of energy would equal more than half of the power currently used by all residential and business customers in Spokane County. We are asking our Spokane County Commissioners and our Washington State Utility & Transportation Commissioners to oppose this. A colossal data center is the last thing Spokane County needs. Locally, we have next to no information about the impacts of the existing data centers, and no regulation or structure to prevent significant impacts from future facilities. Our energy and water resources are already stretched thin and at risk of becoming limited for future generations. Unfortunately, we do not have much research to refer to on the community and environmental impact of data centers in general, but even less for these large AI data centers like the one that is proposed for Spokane County. The research we do have indicates that even smaller data centers can have dramatic impacts on water, energy, and public health. There is little question that large data centers would create enormous environmental strains, ranging from much higher greenhouse gas emissions to depletion of water supplies to destruction of critical river habitat Recently, large data centers have been in the news more and more, with reports of devastating impacts on communities in Georgia, Michigan, and Virginia, to name just a few. Those impacts include outrageous utility bills, contaminated drinking water, unrelenting noise exceeding 60 decibels at all times of day and night, severely reduced water pressure, and, in some cases, damage to home foundations from blasts during the building of these centers. We need more information on the long-term impacts of these data centers before we can responsibly consider building one in our backyard. Tell our Spokane County and UTC Commissioners to oppose this project. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/stop-avistas-ai-data-center