Rising tension in central WA as farmland is eyed for energy and data center projects

The briefing

Klickitat County is at the center of regional battles over siting clean energy facilities and data centers on agricultural land. County officials are drafting policy that discourages projects on prime farmland and favors agrivoltaics, while Savion Renewable Energy pursues the River Turn Energy Center with up to 1,050 megawatts of solar and 800 megawatts of storage on 4,700 leased acres. Records show an advocacy page, Make Energy Right Klickitat, is working with Savion to lobby landowners, and views are mixed because above-market lease payments can be a financial lifeline for farmers.