Majority Democrats in the state House approved a bill Saturday that Republicans say will push data center investment and jobs out of Washington.
Republicans argue that House Bill 2515 disincentivizes construction of new data centers by imposing new utility tariffs and other mandates that go beyond protecting ratepayers.
Representative Mary Dye, the ranking Republican on the House Environment and Energy Committee, says data centers are delivering jobs rural communities have long needed.
“The data centers have proved that they pay their fair share for their infrastructure on the grid and offer the opportunity for jobs with people that wear hard hats and orange vests.”
Representative Alex Ybarra of Quincy pointed to what lawmakers call the “Quincy Miracle,” where data center investment helped transform the small central Washington city.
“We have a new library, brand new library after the data centers. We have a new fire station – eight bays. Quincy’s only 75-hundred people.”
Republicans warn projects and family-wage jobs could now move to other states instead of Washington.
The bill passed 51 to 41, with five Democrats joining Republicans in voting “no.” It now heads to the Senate.
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Washington State House Republican Communications
houserepublicans.wa.gov