Resistance to the data center hits home in Seattle as the council looks at a one-year freeze
While tech companies including Microsoft and Amazon call the Seattle area home, residents voice opposition to the construction of new data centers to support their operations.
The Seattle City Council is considering a one-year moratorium on computer centers, and on Wednesday heard a wave of concerned public comments. Citizens expressed fears about AI, calling data centers “gifts to the rich” and sharing concerns about rising utility bills, dwindling water supplies, environmental justice and climate damage.
Councilwoman Joy Hollingsworth, the bill’s sponsor, offered a more measured take. “We’re not trying to stop the growth of our city,” he said, but added that the city needs to slow down and understand the implications of the data center as the sector grows rapidly. City staff explained that agencies vary in size and impact, and that Seattle government relies on infrastructure to function.
The data center issue erupted in April after The Seattle Times reported on proposals to build five large computer centers in the city, prompting Mayor Katie Wilson to suggest a temporary freeze. Since then, developers have dropped two out of five programs.
Seattle is not alone in its opposition. A March Gallup survey found that seven out of 10 Americans oppose the construction of data centers for AI applications in their area, with nearly half strongly opposed. Separately, the Pew Research Center reports that half of US adults are more worried than excited about the growing role of AI in everyday life.
The city is considering a resolution and ordinance that defines which data centers can be subject to regulation and is laying out an action plan for the following steps:
- Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities are directed to assess water and electricity use and recommend policies and rate structures that protect customers from rising costs — with deadlines of July 1 and Oct. 30, respectively.
- Seattle’s Department of Building and Inspections is directed to determine design and development regulations to minimize the impacts of the data center, with a deadline of 2027.
- The city is also considering a framework for voluntary data center agreements that would benefit surrounding communities by addressing noise, heat, air and water pollution, worker protection, water and energy use, and directing funding for affordable housing, child care and other social programs.
Seattle already has about 30 data centers, but they are relatively small. Larger buildings have historically reached rural areas with more land and less expensive energy. The five proposed urban projects would use 369 megawatts — about one-third of Seattle’s daily energy use. Data centers draw significant amounts of water to cool their electronics.
Washington state leaders struck down data center laws during this year’s legislative session but ultimately rejected a bill that would have required utilities and workers to enter into agreements that protect taxpayers and disclose environmental impacts. The city’s proposed measure addresses many of those same issues, with more parking weight.
No state has enacted a data center ban, but local governments have been going it alone. Counties including Denver, St. Charles, Mo., and a nearby Dallas county have all approved moratoriums.
The industry has taken some steps to alleviate public concerns. Microsoft, for example, launched a community-focused program in January promising to be a good neighbor when using data centers.
But the relentless push for AI infrastructure is likely to continue to hurt public sentiment. Amazon spent $147.3 billion on capital expenditures in the past 12 months, ending in April. Looking ahead, Microsoft expects a whopping $190 billion in spending by 2026, mostly for AI.
Council committees will vote on the bill and resolution on June 3.
