Residential, small business, and agricultural customers remain the utility's top priority. Large power users, including data centers, are expected to fund the additional resources and infrastructure required to serve their growth while helping to support the long-term strength of Grant County's electric system.
1. How many data center customers do Grant PUD serve?
Grant PUD currently serves 8 data center operators in Grant County.
2. Why are there so many data centers in Grant County?
Many of the data centers started operating in Grant County during the first decade of this century. They were attracted to Grant County because of its relatively low-cost utility services and land. Also, organizations such as the Grant County Economic Development Council, Port Districts, and city governments welcomed them and the economic benefits they would bring to their communities.
2. How much power do data centers consume?
In 2025, Grant PUD's 8 data center operators accounted for approximately 280 average megawatts (aMW) of electrical load. Grant PUD's total average system load in 2025 was approximately 757 average megawatts, meaning data centers represented about 37% of overall county load.
3. What is the source of power for data centers?
Grant PUD's power supply comes from a diverse portfolio of generation resources:
- Priest Rapids and Wanapum Dams, with a combined generating capacity of more than 2,100 MW
- Average annual generation is approximately 1,000 MW
- Grant PUD holds physical rights to 63.31% of the dams' output
- Nine Canyon Wind Project, providing 12 MW of generating capacity
- Goose Prairie Solar Project in Moxee, Washington, through a power purchase agreement for 85 MW
- Market purchases, used when needed to help meet peak demand
Grant PUD's Board of Commissioners has established a power-supply strategy that prioritizes residential, small business, and agricultural customers for access to the utility's lowest-cost power resources, which currently come primarily from the dams. Data centers and other large power users are served using available excess hydro generation along with Grant PUD's other power resources and market purchases as needed. For more information, visit grantpud.org/about-your-bill.
4. How have data centers affected residential electric rates?
Grant PUD residential rates have remained comparatively low over the past two decades.
- In 2006, the all-in residential rate was 4.12 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
- In 2026, the all-in residential rate is 6.4 cents per kWh.
This represents an increase of approximately 55% over twenty years.
For comparison:
- If Grant PUD's 2006 rate had simply increased with inflation (Consumer Price Index), it would be approximately 6.8 cents per kWh today.
- Washington state's average residential electric rate increased from 7.28 cents per kWh in 2006 to 14.95 cents per kWh in 2026, an increase of approximately 105%.
- The U.S. average residential rate increased from 10.40 cents per kWh to 18.44 cents per kWh, an increase of approximately 77%.
By nearly every comparison, Grant PUD customers have continued to benefit from electricity rates that remain well below state and national averages.
5. How will data centers affect residential rates in the future?
Grant PUD's current rate strategy is designed to protect residential, small business, and agricultural customers from costs associated with serving large new electrical loads.
Under this approach:
- Core customers continue to receive priority access to Grant PUD's lowest-cost power resources.
- Large power users, including data centers, are responsible for paying the costs of additional generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure needed specifically to serve their loads.
This strategy is intended to help ensure that costs associated with future large-load growth do not shift to residential customers.
Learn more at visit grantpud.org/about-your-bill and here www.grantpud.org/rates-fees.
6. Will residential, small business, and agricultural customers have enough power in the future?
Yes. Grant PUD remains committed to ensuring that residents, businesses, and farms have reliable access to the power they need as the county grows. The utility continually invests in system upgrades and infrastructure improvements to meet the future needs of its core customers.
Grant PUD currently has approximately 800 MW of large-load requests in its power application queue. The utility is actively planning for the additional energy resources, generating capacity, and power-delivery infrastructure necessary to serve this potential growth.
Developing these resources requires extensive planning, procurement, permitting, and construction, which means service cannot always be provided as quickly as customers or developers may prefer. However, as a public power utility, Grant PUD intends to serve customers who complete the required application and customer-connection process.