Addressing emerging large energy use facilities.
What changed between versions
Deadlines for utilities to submit energy tariffs were moved to October 1, 2026, and the phase-out of free carbon allowances for data centers was delayed to January 1, 2028.
Data centers must now report water use effectiveness using international standards and include refrigerant recovery data in their annual reports.
New rules require data centers to demonstrate that their marginal load is served under contracts involving demand response or funding peak reductions to prevent strain on the grid.
Data centers receiving tax exemptions must now certify that construction used project labor agreements and prevailing wages, and that the facility meets specific sustainable design standards within three years.
Data centers must now disclose if they are pursuing similar interconnection requests in other regions to prevent duplicative projects that could delay grid upgrades.
A new sales and use tax exemption for server equipment and power infrastructure was created, but only for data centers in specific border counties that commit to creating family-wage jobs and meeting green building standards.
The definition of an 'eligible computer data center' was narrowed to require a minimum of 100,000 square feet and specific security features, and the location requirement was updated to counties east of the Cascades with populations over 500,000.
