OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A bill that looked to place guardrails on data centers in Washington has died.
My Bellingham Now previously reported on HB 2515, which sought regulation on energy and other resource use for the large buildings in the state among other rules.
The bill had lost a lot of its original language on the House floor, including stipulations that it pay fees to the state for high energy consumption.
The Seattle Times reports state Sen. Sharon Shewmake and one of the proponents of the bill broke the news of its failure this week.
Tech giant lobbyists from Microsoft and Amazon spoke out against the bill repeatedly during public hearings.
A representative from Puget Sound Energy (PSE) also spoke against the bill to note that it would likely raise costs for customers in the interim time before the bill took effect.
PSE is looking to raise rates in a three-year plan starting in 2027 to keep up with costs of investing in electric infrastructure.
