Data centers on rise in rural areas. Internet firms build where power is cheaper

On a former wheat field in East Wenatchee, a new Internet data center is springing to life.

The $100 million facility — to be built over the next 18 months on a 30-acre plot of land — is the latest high-tech facility proposed for a rural part of Central Washington best known for apple orchards and wheat fields. But there’s another big reason why high-tech giants such as Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo have gobbled up acreage above the Columbia River in recent months: cheap hydroelectric power.

That electricity, generated for as little as 2 cents per kilowatt-hour by local public utility districts, is attracting technology companies that need state-of-the-art facilities to host a range of Internet services, from online video to digital photos. Cheap power is a big benefit for data centers because it is necessary to keep computer servers cool.

By JOHN COOK
P-I REPORTER

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