Seattle council members move to temporarily halt data center construction

Three Seattle City Council members are proposing a one-year moratorium on the siting of new data centers within city limits while officials study the impacts of the facilities.

The emergency moratorium would bar any new construction of data centers while officials investigate their effect on infrastructure, water, utility rates, jobs and public health, the council announced Thursday.

“Mega data centers are popping up across the country, driving up utility costs for residents and small businesses and increasing air, water and noise pollution when not properly regulated,” Councilmember Eddie Lin, the primary sponsor of the measure, said in a news release.

Council President Joy Hollingsworth and Councilmember Debora Juarez are also sponsoring the legislation.

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2026/04/30/data-center-moratorium-council-proposal.html