The draft allows industrial-scale data centers only in Industrial Park or General Industrial zoning districts and prohibits them in all other zoning classifications.

The draft requires conditional-use approval for industrial data centers in both Industrial Park and General Industrial districts.

The draft prohibits an industrial data center from being developed within 500 feet of a residential dwelling or residentially zoned parcel.

Each proposed data center must submit a master plan covering ultimate development, construction phases, buildings, electrical demand, cooling, water use, access, and accessory uses.

Approval of a master plan or initial development phase does not authorize later phases; each phase must obtain all required land-use, development, and construction approvals before construction or operation.

Major expansions require approval of an amended master plan, conditional-use permit, or other required development permits before construction or operation.

Battery energy storage systems, renewable-energy facilities, generators, substations, and wastewater facilities may require separate or additional permits, and BESS and renewable-energy facilities are treated as independent conditional uses.

Applicants must prepare a visual-impact assessment addressing impacts at full buildout and proposed mitigation measures.

Applicants must prepare a noise-impact assessment and demonstrate compliance with Washington State maximum environmental noise levels.

Data centers must use best available technologies and practices to minimize consumptive water use, and applicants must evaluate cooling technologies, conservation measures, and alternative water sources.

Applicants must submit a wastewater analysis covering projected full-buildout wastewater needs and must provide certification that a public sewer system can handle the required conveyance and treatment if one is used.

Applicants must submit an Energy Usage Plan identifying projected annual electricity demand, energy sources, storage capacity, renewable generation, and backup-power sources.

Applicants must coordinate electric service, power supply, and generation with Klickitat Public Utility District and must secure and finance the power supply and infrastructure needed to deliver electricity to the KPUD transmission system.

Infrastructure built in Klickitat County to serve a data center or other large-load development must be transferred to KPUD under its requirements and become subject to KPUD ownership, operation, and fees.

Applicants must submit a Water Resources Usage Plan identifying annual water use, water sources, storage capacity, and water-efficiency measures.

A project using municipal or public-utility water must provide a signed assurance from the water purveyor that sufficient resources exist and that demand is consistent with applicable water-system plans and projections.

A project using more than 5,000 gallons of groundwater per day must provide proof or other adequate assurance of sufficient water resources, such as a water-right permit.

Data centers must take access from a local or private road and provide secondary access suitable for emergency response.

Applicants must prepare an emergency-response plan acceptable to local emergency-service agencies, evaluate impacts on emergency services and fire protection, and pay for required first-responder training and equipment.

Applicants must provide financial security equal to 100 percent of the County-approved cost of required public infrastructure improvements, plus any approved contingency, and maintain it during construction.

Applicants must provide project-information and community-contact procedures during construction and operation and maintain a public project website until two years after full buildout begins operation.

Applicants must submit a decommissioning plan for restoring the site and provide financial security equal to 100 percent of the County-approved decommissioning cost, adjusted for inflation.

Under the existing review process, Industrial Park projects require a site-plan application and SEPA checklist, while projects in other zones require a conditional-use-permit application and SEPA checklist.

SEPA review may result in a determination of significance requiring a full environmental impact study.

The review process includes a 14-day public-comment period on the SEPA threshold determination and a 21-day appeal period that includes the comment period.

Industrial Park projects receive Planning Commission site-plan review and may be appealed to the Board of County Commissioners; projects in other zones require a Board of Adjustment conditional-use public hearing and may be appealed to Washington Superior Court.

The draft defines an Industrial Data Center as a facility with a design maximum electrical demand of 20 megawatts or greater, so facilities below that threshold are outside the draft ordinance’s data-center-specific requirements. [design maximum electrical demand of [twenty] megawatts (MW) or greater](https://www.klickitatcounty.gov/DocumentCenter/View/23973/DRAFT-Data-Center-Ordinance-10126-Most-Recent?bidId=#:~:text=design%20maximum%20electrical%20demand%20of%20%5Btwenty%5D%20megawatts)

Industrial Data Centers are allowed as conditional uses in both the Industrial Park and General Industrial zoning districts, providing two zoning categories where they may be developed; they are prohibited in other zones. allowed by conditional use in the Industrial Park (KCC 19.30) and General Industrial (KCC 19.32) zoning districts

Projects may be organized into development phases under an overall master plan, allowing a data-center campus to be built incrementally rather than all at once. Each phase still requires its own applicable land-use, development, and construction approvals, and approval of the master plan does not automatically authorize later phases. Each development phase of a data center campus shall obtain all applicable land use, development, and construction approvals

The draft provides a utility-infrastructure pathway through Klickitat Public Utility District: applicants coordinate service through KPUD, finance the power supply and delivery infrastructure, and may transfer qualifying infrastructure to KPUD for KPUD ownership and operation. Infrastructure constructed within Klickitat County to serve a data center

Under the county’s stated review process, projects in the Industrial Park zone use a site-plan application and Planning Commission review, rather than the conditional-use-permit application and Board of Adjustment hearing required in other zones. The process still includes SEPA review, public comment, and appeals. Application: Site Plan and SEPA Checklist

Industrial data centers require a conditional use permit and are barred from locations outside Industrial Park and General Industrial zones. “allowed by conditional use”

The draft bars development within [500] feet of a residential dwelling or residentially zoned parcel; the distance remains a bracketed placeholder. [“within [500] ft”](https://www.klickitatcounty.gov/DocumentCenter/View/23973/DRAFT-Data-Center-Ordinance-10126-Most-Recent?bidId=#:~:text=within%20%5B500%5D%20ft)

Applicants must submit a master plan covering the ultimate project and phases, but approval of the plan or an initial phase does not authorize later phases; each phase needs its own applicable approvals before work begins. “shall not authorize construction or operation of subsequent phases”

A major expansion requires an amended master plan, conditional use permit, or other required permits before construction or operation; the percentage defining a major expansion is left as [x]. [“greater than [x] percent”](https://www.klickitatcounty.gov/DocumentCenter/View/23973/DRAFT-Data-Center-Ordinance-10126-Most-Recent?bidId=#:~:text=greater%20than%20%5Bx%5D%20percent)

Accessory facilities are not automatically permitted and may need separate or additional approvals, including for battery storage, renewable generation, backup generators, substations, and wastewater treatment. The draft specifically makes BESS an independent conditional use. “separate or additional permitting path”

Applicants must prepare a visual-impact assessment for full buildout and all accessory uses, including measures to avoid or minimize impacts. “prepare a Visual Impact Assessment”

Applicants must prepare a noise-impact assessment for full buildout and accessory uses and show how the project will comply with Washington’s maximum environmental noise levels. “comply with all Washington State Maximum Environmental Noise Levels”

Cooling and other operations must use best available technologies and practices to minimize consumptive water use; applicants must evaluate alternatives and demonstrate minimization to the maximum extent practicable. “minimize consumptive water use”

Applicants must analyze wastewater needs and expected volumes at full buildout. If a public system will convey or treat wastewater, the applicant must provide certified documentation that it can support the project. “public authority can support the conveyance and treatment needed”

Applicants must provide an energy-use plan identifying projected annual demand, supply sources, storage, renewable generation if applicable, and backup-power sources. “Projected annual electricity demand”

Applicants must coordinate electric service and power requirements with KPUD; power generation must be delivered through KPUD infrastructure. Applicants must secure and finance the power supply and necessary infrastructure, and qualifying infrastructure must be transferred to KPUD under its requirements, with corresponding fees. “secure and finance the power supply”

Applicants must submit a water-use plan. For municipal or public-utility water, they must provide a signed purveyor letter confirming adequate supply and consistency with applicable plans and projections. Groundwater use above 5,000 gallons per day requires assurance of sufficient supply, such as a water-right permit. “in excess of five-thousand (5,000) gallons per day”

Projects must take access from a local or private road and provide secondary access suitable for emergency response. Applicants must also submit an emergency-response plan accepted by local emergency-services agencies, including training and equipment for first responders at the applicant’s expense. “secondary access suitable for emergency response purposes”

Applicants must provide financial security for required public infrastructure improvements equal to 100% of the County-approved cost estimate, plus a contingency capped at a still-bracketed [x] percent. “shall equal 100 percent”

Applicants must maintain project-information and community-response methods and a public project website covering project details, timelines, phases, meetings, and permit status. The website must remain available until two years after full buildout operation. “until 2 years have passed”

Applicants must submit a decommissioning plan for site restoration and provide financial security equal to 100% of the County-approved cost estimate, adjusted for inflation. “equal 100 percent of the County-approved cost estimate”

Allows conditional-use applications for Industrial Data Centers in Industrial Park and General Industrial zones, while prohibiting them in other zones. “allowed by conditional use”

Creates a utility-infrastructure pathway for serving data centers: power supply and generation must be coordinated with KPUD and delivered through its infrastructure, and qualifying infrastructure built to serve a data center is transferred to KPUD for ownership and operation. The applicant must secure and finance the power supply and necessary infrastructure, and KPUD requirements apply. “transferred to KPUD”