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by techsupporter 90 days ago
> I can say that we're not exactly a state worrying about water shortages.

Except we are.

> We're probably one of the more reasonable places to build data centers due to cheap green energy and pretty plentiful water.

Most of our water comes from snowpack that melts over the spring and summer. Almost every year for the last several years, snowpack has been abnormal and has affected downstream flows.

https://ecology.wa.gov/water-shorelines/water-supply/water-a...

https://www.plantmaps.com/www.plantmaps.com/www.plantmaps.co...

https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/november-2021/snowpack-washingto...

And datacenter construction has put a major strain on central Washington power and water supplies: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/times-watchdog/pow...