Seattle City Council unanimously backs temporary moratorium on new data centers
The Seattle City Council unanimously approved a year-long moratorium on new large-scale data centers. This decision followed significant public outcry regarding potential environmental, infrastructure, and economic impacts, including concerns about noise pollution, energy, and water usage. The city will now conduct comprehensive studies during this pause to evaluate these impacts.
The Seattle City Council has unanimously voted to enact a year-long moratorium on new large-scale data center developments within the city. The decision came after immense public outcry, with dozens of residents speaking in favor of the pause during the council meeting. Concerns raised by the community included noise pollution, environmental impacts, and strain on the city's energy and water infrastructure, with some residents advocating for a permanent ban on AI data centers.
City officials noted that while Seattle currently hosts around 30 smaller data centers, proposed large-scale facilities could collectively demand enough power for 300,000 homes. This has led to worries about potential increases in utility costs for both residents and businesses. Councilmember Eddie Lin and Council President Joy Hollingsworth sponsored the amended Council Bill 121214, defining data centers under the legislation as facilities with power capacity exceeding 20 megavolt-amperes.
During the moratorium, the City Council will direct a team to conduct comprehensive studies on the community benefits and impacts of data centers, specifically examining pollution, energy and water usage, and emissions. The moratorium can be extended for an additional six months if needed, allowing the city to thoroughly assess how to regulate such developments responsibly.