Pierce County Council Enacts One-Year Moratorium on Data Centers

The Pierce County Council voted 6-1 on Wednesday to implement an emergency ordinance, establishing a one-year ban on the siting, expansion, and establishment of data centers with over 10 megawatts of electric capacity in unincorporated areas. Council Chair Jani Hitchen stated the ordinance was a preemptive measure, despite no current applications for new data centers.

The prohibition prevents the county from accepting, processing, or approving permits for such facilities for the next year. The ordinance also mandates a work plan for staff to evaluate and develop comprehensive developmental regulations for data centers. The council cited data centers as the largest source of anticipated electricity load growth in the Pacific Northwest, noting their significant energy and water demands, potential impacts on air and water quality, and the depletion of resources like the Clover/Chambers Creek aquifer, which is a sole source of drinking water for much of the unincorporated area.

Concerns were also raised about the limited positive impact on county employment goals, as data centers, while requiring many construction workers, operate with a small number of permanent employees. The vote occurred amidst similar considerations in other Pierce County cities, such as DuPont, which is contemplating its own moratorium, and Tacoma, which already prohibits stand-alone server farms.

Council member Dave Morell cast the sole dissenting vote, criticizing the use of an emergency ordinance for bypassing normal legislative processes and public debate. However, other council members, including Vice Chair Paul Herrera and Council member Amy Cruver, supported the measure, viewing it as a necessary pause to develop appropriate policies regarding power transmission, water emissions, noise, environmental impacts, and infrastructure costs. A public hearing on the matter is scheduled for October 20.