Avista Corporation, the Spokane-based utility, hit the brakes on a massive data center energy deal after residents made it clear they weren’t interested in footing the bill. The company announced on June 12 that it would pause negotiations on an energy service request for a proposed 500 MW data center project, citing community opposition and stakeholder feedback.
Here’s the thing: 500 MW is not a modest ask. That amount of power would have exceeded half of Spokane County’s entire residential and commercial energy consumption.
What exactly happened
An unnamed developer had entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Avista, laying out a phased approach to scaling the facility’s energy draw. The plan called for starting at 125 MW by 2029 and ramping up to a maximum of 500 MW by 2032.
Neither the developer’s identity nor the specific project location has been disclosed publicly. What has been disclosed, loudly and repeatedly, is the community’s displeasure.
