Racks of servers inside an AWS data center in 2023. (AWS Photo / Noah Berger)
Amazon is moving toward building its first data centers in Washington state, with a proposed campus in Walla Walla County and a second in the Tri-Cities that the company confirmed this week.
The expansion into Amazon’s home state comes amid nationwide pushback against the rapid deployment of new AI data centers. Tuesday’s election underscored the scrutiny facing data center developers, with voters in communities across several states backing limits on new projects. In Eastern Washington, the Amazon proposals have drawn calls for greater environmental oversight and a temporary halt to data center development.
Amazon already has a substantial footprint in neighboring Oregon, where industry tracker Baxtel lists 64 AWS data center sites. Expansion there has divided communities , with residents pushing for restrictions over power and water concerns while some Eastern Oregon officials warn that slowing development would jeopardize jobs and tax revenue.
Both proposed Washington campuses would initially include three data center buildings. The Walla Walla County site covers roughly 134 acres in Wallula Gap, while the Tri-Cities campus is on a 1,000 acre property in the city of West Richland and could eventually grow to 21 buildings.
The Tri-City Herald first reported Monday that Amazon was behind the West Richland project. The company plans to hold a community open house Nov. 19 to discuss the proposal.
A full build-out of the West Richland campus could create more than 1,000 full-time data center jobs, Amazon said. Dallas real estate firm Trammell Crow initially purchased the property from the estate of agricultural businessman Frank Tiegs, who died in 2024, before selling it to Amazon.
Nearby residents have raised concerns about the planned campus, in part because of its proximity to about 200 homes. Residents asked the local city council to approve a temporary moratorium, but at a meeting Tuesday evening, council members adopted rules that removed a data center noise exemption, banned them in light industrial zones, and prohibited cryptocurrency mining. The council failed to pass a moratorium, NonStop Local reported.
Amazon says the upcoming open house will give residents an opportunity to ask questions about the planned development. A spokesperson described a “science fair” format, with booths hosted by experts discussing water and energy usage, job creation, noise and environmental impacts.
“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 spokesperson said via email.
Amazon data centers in the Portland area in 2022. (AWS Photo / Noah Berger)
Calling for increased oversight
At Wallula Gap, a recent public-comment period offers an indication of the scrutiny Amazon faces.
Of the 706 submissions received during a 30-day comment period that closed Oct. 12, only 23 — about 3% — supported the project, according to an analysis by the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin . Most of the supportive comments came from the area, and many predicated their support on more stringent oversight of the proposed facility near the Columbia River.
More than 500 submissions came from outside Walla Walla County, according to the Union-Bulletin. Many included template language calling for an Environmental Impact Statement — a higher level of environmental assessment than currently required for the campus.
The proposed facility is located at the Wallula Gap Business Park, on property formerly owned by the Port of Walla Walla. The three proposed single-story data center buildings would create approximately 120 to 150 full-time jobs, Amazon said.
The land is zoned for “industrial agriculture – mixed” applications, which the company said includes data centers. Amazon’s involvement in the project was first reported by the Tri-City Herald in February.
Amazon addresses impacts
Amazon’s FAQs for the two sites address several issues raised by residents, including electricity costs and water use.
Rising electric bills nationwide and the climate impacts of new gas power plants and backup diesel generators have made energy use a top concern. Amazon said it will work with local utilities and other officials “to ensure that our data centers do not raise electricity bills for people in our communities.”
The company reports that it matched all electricity consumed across its global operations with renewable energy sources in 2023 and 2024. That annual, company-wide accounting measure does not mean each facility runs on renewable electricity around the clock.
Amazon also points to its investment of “billions of dollars in nuclear energy projects,” including a proposed small modular reactor plant near the Tri-Cities that could come online in the 2030s.
“This project will provide net-new carbon-free energy for communities in the Pacific Northwest, including Eastern Washington,” Amazon said in its FAQ.
Amid concerns about water shortages, Amazon touts water-use rates that it says beat other tech companies and are much lower than irrigated farming. Those rates, however, do not include water used in electricity generation. Many power plants use water to produce steam that drives electricity-generating turbines and for cooling, with some water lost through evaporation.
At both locations, Amazon says it will pay 100% of its property taxes rather than seek tax breaks for building in the communities. The company says its taxes are higher than most industrial uses and directly support schools, roads, fire and police, and other services.
Touting data center benefits
Beyond addressing concerns about its data centers, Amazon is making a broader case for why communities should welcome them. Last month, the company launched its Built Together initiative, committing more than $1 billion in additional investments over five years to U.S. communities where it operates data centers. The funding supports efforts including free community college, energy upgrades for homes and buildings, and workforce training.
In announcing the program, Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman framed data center development as part of a global race for AI dominance. He warned that local and state moratoriums could harm the U.S. economy and national security.
“If these measures are enacted, the U.S. could be writing its own losing ticket to this race, and the consequences would last generations,” Garman said. “As a country, we can’t afford to find ourselves in that position.”
In West Richland, residents will have an opportunity to question Amazon’s plans — and the assurances accompanying them — at the company’s upcoming open house.
