Compliance Alert: Seattle Moratorium

Jurisdiction: Seattle Type: city, WA Status: active (previously active)

Status Evidence

On June 9, 2026, the Seattle City Council unanimously passed an emergency one-year moratorium on new large data centers, which took effect immediately (City Council passes emergency data center moratorium and policy framework - Seattle City Council Blog). The ordinance halts applications for facilities with electrical capacity above 20 megavolt-amperes while the city studies their impacts (Seattle’s data center moratorium: symbolic politics, real costs | The Seattle Times).

Scope

A one-year emergency moratorium halting applications for new large data centers with an electrical capacity exceeding 20 megavolt-amperes (MVA) (Seattle’s data center moratorium: symbolic politics, real costs | The Seattle Times). Existing data centers are allowed to continue and expand, but their energy use is capped to prevent supersized projects while the city analyzes impacts on the electrical grid, water usage, and utility rates (Seattle data center ban heads to Mayor Wilson's desk).

Ethical Concerns

• Lack of transparency and public awareness due to nondisclosure agreements between Seattle City Light and data center developers regarding proposed facility locations (Seattle Advances Data Center Moratorium, Amid Public Backlash).
• Community concerns that large-scale data centers will deplete local water and energy resources, potentially driving up utility rates for residents (Seattle City Council unanimously backs temporary moratorium on new data centers).