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Utility warns moratorium could halt Spokane-area data-center projects, urges coordinated planning
Summary
At a Spokane briefing, a utility representative said a moratorium would stop exploration of potential data-center projects and outlined long lead times for transmission and equipment, while council members pressed the city and developers on water rights, discharge and community impacts.
A utility representative told Spokane council members that a moratorium on data-center permitting would immediately halt exploration of potential projects and could prevent the region from realizing benefits from them.
The representative said the company is trying to balance customer protections and innovation, and that the ability to evaluate proposed facilities is essential. "As soon as a moratorium goes into place we lose our ability to even explore those types of things," the representative said, arguing that the utility needs space to determine which proposals make sense.
Why it matters: City officials pressed the presenter about water and environmental oversight, noting that Spokane is a water purveyor and holds senior water rights in parts of the basin. Council members said local planning and developer engagement are necessary because federal…
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