Inside One of 18 Data Centers Operating in Tukwila Industrial Park
Seattle has enacted legislation, including a moratorium and new power rates, to limit new data centers within its city limits. However, Tukwila's industrial park already hosts 18 data centers that are largely unaffected by Seattle's new rules. A tour of DataBank's facility in Tukwila highlighted its closed-loop cooling system and sparked debate over data center water and energy use, with conflicting views from the company, Seattle City Light, and an academic expert.
In recent months, the Seattle City Council has taken significant steps to regulate data center development within the city. On May 11, discussions began on proposals to limit new data center construction, culminating in the passage of two bills on June 9 establishing a strict policy framework and a new Seattle City Light Strategic Plan on July 7, which includes higher power rates for large data centers. This legislation notably includes a data center moratorium, making Seattle the first major U.S. city to enact such a measure.
Despite Seattle's new restrictions, a substantial data center presence already exists in the region, particularly within a Tukwila industrial park, which hosts 18 facilities. These data centers, which collectively could draw 80 to 113 megawatts at maximum capacity, are largely unaffected by Seattle's moratorium and framework legislation, with only a few potentially subject to the new power rates. The South Seattle Emerald conducted a tour of one of these facilities, operated by DataBank, to understand their operations and resource consumption.
During the tightly controlled tour, DataBank representatives showcased a "closed-loop" cooling system, claiming it uses the same water since 2000 and consumes 50% less water annually than an average family of four, totaling about 50,000 gallons per year. They argued that critics often misrepresent data center water usage by lumping in more intensive AI or evaporative-cooling facilities. However, Burkhard Englert, a computer science professor at Seattle University, acknowledged the validity of closed-loop efficiency but cautioned against dismissing the broader environmental footprint of data center growth.
The debate also extended to electricity use, with DataBank asserting that data centers benefit utility companies. This claim was disputed by Julie Moore, communications director for Seattle City Light, who stated that new large loads are expected to increase costs, not provide benefits, though existing data centers have been integrated over time. Englert noted that while data centers are large, predictable customers, new facilities can strain the grid and necessitate significant infrastructure investments. Currently, Tukwila has no data center legislation, while Seattle continues to formalize its plans.