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Public commenter raises concerns about data centers, power, water and tax deals
Summary
A resident warned that large data centers can strain power and water supplies, cited examples of utility prioritization and local tax exemptions for major projects, and urged attention to long‑term public impacts.
During the public‑comment period, Susan Warren addressed the commission about risks associated with large data centers, citing regional examples and tax‑incentive concerns.
Warren argued that new industrial power demands can lead utilities and transmission providers to prioritize large industrial loads and that water usage and rate impacts have affected other communities. She referenced reporting that large data‑center investments receive substantial tax incentives and large transmission projects to feed those sites can carry long‑term costs. "Not only are data center creating rate increases for residential customers," she said, and she described examples in other states where data centers used significant water resources during construction.
Warren suggested these trends—power redirection, heavy water use during construction, and large tax exemptions—warrant close scrutiny as counties consider hosting or supporting large industrial loads.
What happens next: Warren’s comment was heard as part of the public‑comment record; commissioners did not take an immediate action in response during the meeting.
(Reporting note: claims about tax exemptions and large project economics were stated by the commenter and referenced national reporting; the commission meeting transcript records the comment but does not contain an independent staff analysis.)
