Snohomish County holds public hearing on data center moratorium

The Snohomish County Council recently held a public hearing to discuss an existing six-month moratorium on data centers within unincorporated Snohomish County, Washington. The moratorium, which was adopted by the council on June 24, is slated to expire on December 24 unless an extension is granted.

Snohomish County Senior Legislative Analyst Deb Bell informed the council that current county regulations lack comprehensive provisions specifically addressing the siting, development, or operation of data centers. This deficiency, she noted, could fail to adequately protect the county's lands, waters, natural resources, environment, and human communities from potential data center impacts. County staff are currently researching the issue and preparing a draft ordinance to establish specific rules for data centers.

During the public comment period, 12 of 13 speakers expressed opposition to data center development. Mary O'Farrell of Camano Island urged the council to implement a moratorium until effective regulations are developed, citing concerns about unlimited electrical power consumption by utilities. Other residents echoed concerns regarding potential environmental risks, noise pollution, and the limited availability of long-term job opportunities.

Conversely, Evan Matheson of unincorporated Snohomish County argued that Washington, and particularly Snohomish County, is well-equipped to responsibly host data centers. He highlighted the state's excess electricity generation and clean energy mix, suggesting that the county should take the lead in establishing robust standards to harness economic benefits, rather than allowing other regions to do so.