Seattle considers data center at Starbucks HQ, City Council enacts temporary siting freeze
A radio show discussed public fears surrounding data centers, prompted by a proposal for a small facility in Seattle's Starbucks HQ. The hosts debated environmental impacts like water and power usage. This comes as the Seattle City Council has enacted a temporary freeze on new data center siting to conduct impact studies, following multiple proposals for large-scale data centers.
The "Jake and Spike Show" on KIRO Newsradio discussed public fears regarding data centers in Seattle, prompted by a proposal to locate a small data center on the ground floor of the Starbucks headquarters building in the SODO area. According to The Seattle Times, this space was formerly an Amazon Fresh.
Hosts Jake Skorheim and Spike addressed concerns about the environmental impact of data centers, specifically their water and power consumption. Skorheim questioned the validity of these fears, noting an article that suggested data centers use significantly less water annually than U.S. golf courses.
This discussion unfolds as the Seattle City Council recently imposed a temporary freeze on new data center siting. The council's decision allows for impact studies to be conducted, following reports from April that four companies had approached Seattle City Light with plans to develop five large-scale data centers.