<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3F2z8N_1GhJXMZ300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3F2z8N_1GhJXMZ300" width="800" height="533" ><figcaption>The tech giant Amazon recently confirmed it bought 1,000 acres in the Lewis &amp; Clark Ranch area previously held by a development company and is now considering an initial three-building data center there. Photo by Nathan Finke</figcaption></figure>Amazon wants to build a data center in West Richland but it’s already facing some stiff resistance from community members.The tech giant recently confirmed it bought 1,000 acres in the Lewis &amp; Clark Ranch area previously held by a development company and is now planning an initial three-building data center there, staffed with between 120-150 people, not counting the hundreds who will be needed to build the data centers.Amazon says the campus could eventually grow to as many as 21 buildings on the irrigated agricultural and dry pasture land northeast of Ruppert Road and employ more than 1,000 people.A company spokesperson stressed no permit applications have yet been filed for the project nor have required state environmental reviews begun. But an FAQ document from Amazon stressed the need for more data centers to meet the demands of an increasingly digital world that relies on everything from streaming services and e-commerce, to emails and online health records.The company plans to hold an open house from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 19 at Enterprise Middle School, 5200 Paradise Way in West Richland, to give residents an opportunity to learn about the project, ask questions and get answers. To register: bit.ly/wr-amazon.“When we consider investing in a community, we think residents deserve a chance to learn what we’re doing and ask our team questions directly,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement provided to the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business. “Washington has been our home for over 30 years, so we’re committed to growing responsibly and we want the community to leave the open house with a better understanding of this project and what it could mean for the area.” The project is already facing hostility from some city residents, who packed a Nov. 3 city council meeting where council members considered an ordinance establishing interim development regulations for data centers for the next six months. The ordinance gives city officials time to review the impacts of such projects, hear from the public and establish permanent regulations regarding data center development. The council unanimously approved the ordinance but not until after Mayor Fred Brink had to adjourn the meeting for a brief recess due to interruptions from the standing room-only crowd, with some shouting “shame” and “listen to your constituents” as council members left the chamber. Citizens have raised a variety of concerns during council meetings and via email and petitions submitted to the city related to noise, lighting, air emissions, traffic, water and energy consumption, and the potential for increased costs to be passed on to residents and businesses.Others have expressed support for the data centers, citing more jobs, built-out infrastructure, and additional tax revenue. Amazon anticipates paying millions of dollars in local property taxes to the city of West Richland and Benton County at full build-out, compared to the roughly $6,400 paid in property taxes this year.Amazon’s West Richland property, formerly owned by Frank Tiegs LLC, first sold July 10 to TC West Richland 1 LLC for $82.7 million. That company was later identified as Trammel Crow Company, a development company that has pursued data center projects nationwide. Then, July 16, the same parcels were sold to WKC31 Development LLC for $263.7 million, according to county property records, a holding company for Amazon.Lewis and Clark Ranch is expected to transition to urban uses over time. The city anticipates the first phase – the development of 750 acres – will be an opportunity to create a vibrant mixed-use city hub that offers diverse housing opportunities and encourages walking and bicycling. The Amazon property isn’t included in the first phase of the development. Water and energy use Amazon addressed many of the community’s concerns in its FAQ document. The facility would initially use 10 million gallons of surface-sourced water to cool the data center servers during the first phase of the project – less water than the typical U.S. golf course.At full build-out, it would use 70 million gallons of water a year for cooling, which it said is equivalent to a few minutes of Columbia River water flow.Water cooling would only be necessary in the hottest months with air cooling being used for the remainder, and the company insists that any water it discharges will meet cleanliness requirements and standards.As for powering the facility, Amazon said it has matched all its operations with renewable sources to cover all electricity needs in 2023-24. It is investing billions in nuclear energy projects, and cites the planned Cascade Advanced Energy Facility the company is building in partnership with X-energy and Energy Northwest, which will initially generate 320 megawatts of power.There will be diesel generators installed on site to serve as back-up power, though Amazon said they typically only run 10 hours per year and must meet some of the strictest emission controls set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.Opposition group A group called Tri-Cities Data Center Watch has peppered West Richland streets with bright yellow signs asking the city council to “Pause. Plan. Protect.” It formed to oppose data center development and claims about 3,000 members on Facebook.“We don’t want to eliminate data centers, we know that’s not possible,” Melinda d’Ouville, a member of the group, told the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business. “We’re not fighting data centers and AI, we’re fighting speculators.”d’Ouville and others opposed to the data center proposal criticized the city’s ordinance, claiming it will still allow data centers to come into the community even as city regulations about them are under review. Instead, they champion a moratorium until the regulations are developed.But Brink told the Journal before the Nov. 3 council meeting that such a moratorium would handicap the city.“We have the opportunity to have all these expenses reimbursed (by a future developer),” he said. “This is going to involve a lot of research and the city’s budget is tight. I personally believe this is a very full and comprehensive effort to address citizen concerns. It’s not an approach of appeasement. It’s so we have the appropriate regs in place.”The city is set to hold a public hearing on the interim controls on Dec. 15. Those will then be considered by the city’s planning commission for a recommendation to council before they are again considered by council members.Nationwide concerns Data center projects around the nation have faced mounting pressure. Americans voted overwhelmingly to restrict the buildout of data centers in their communities in the Nov. 3 election, according to Stateline. Closer to home, an opposition effort is underway to halt Amazon’s planned data center at the Wallula Gap Business Park south of the Tri-Cities in Walla Walla County. That project is currently moving through the permitting process. Another data center proposed in the region is Atlas Agro’s proposed Richland data center.</div></body>

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Amazon wants to build a data center in West Richland but it’s already facing some stiff resistance from community members. The tech giant recently confirmed it bought 1,000 acres in the Lewis & Clark Ranch area previously held by a development company and is now planning an initial three-building data center there, staffed with between 120-150 people, not counting the hundreds who will be needed to build the data centers.

Amazon plans data center campus in West Richland

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Amazon wants to build a data center in West Richland but it’s already facing some stiff resistance from community members. The tech giant recently confirme

Amazon plans data center campus in West Richland

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