- Sent:
- Wednesday, August 26, 2026 4:21 PM
- Subject:
- important findings to consider regarding WA State data centers
Dear County Planners and Planning Commission:
During the current pause on new large scale data center permits, I ask you to review very
important findings and recommendations from stakeholders in our state who have studied
hyperscale data centers and their effects. Below are links to PDFs of such important
information and recommendations.
These studies will be helpful for understanding
documented effects of large load data centers and what might help to mitigate those negative
effects.
On top of what is documented in the links below, both hydrogen splitting plants and large data
centers also have enormous fire risks. Hydrogen is extremely flammable (recall the
Hindenburg).
Both types of plants/centers use flammable fuels, high voltage electricity prone
to sparks, risk of meltdowns, flammable batteries, and more.
Such centers must be required
to have strong fire risk mitigation and on-site fire-fighting services paid for by the companies
in question.
Furthermore, large scale data centers are programmed to disconnect from the
electrical grid when power fluctuations are detected and when this can cause meltdown of
the grid with irreversible damage (see Volts podcast - the transcript is too long to include
here).
https://yakamafish-
nsn.gov/sites/default/files/Yakama%20Nation%20Data%20Center%20Findings%20and%20Rec
ommendations%20Nov%2010%202025%20only.pdf
https://www.columbiariverkeeper.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026.02.26-Data-
Center-Closer-Look-Report.pdf
https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/wp-
content/uploads/2026/03/RPT2_2602_DataCenterMoratorium.pdf
https://frontandcentered.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Communities-Centered-
Frontline-Perspectives-on-Hyperscale-Data-Centers-in-Washington-State-July-2026.pdf
Fires:
https://futurism.com/future-society/fire-fighters-data-centers
Thank you.
Dr. Elizabeth O'Halloran