Seattle passes one-year data center moratorium as Amazon employees join backlash against AI boom

Seattle City Council Votes to Halt AI Data Center Expansion

The Seattle City Council voted unanimously on June 9th to enact a one-year ban on new data centers, marking a significant pushback against the AI infrastructure boom in a city synonymous with tech giants Amazon

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. The Seattle data center moratorium makes it the largest U.S. city to impose such restrictions, joining Minneapolis, Denver, Baltimore, and Indianapolis in a growing wave of local resistance to hyperscale facilities 3

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The emergency measure targets new AI data centers with electrical capacity exceeding 20 megavolt-amperes—enough power for thousands of homes. The decision came after four unnamed companies proposed five large-scale facilities that would have demanded a combined 369 megawatts from Seattle City Light, roughly one-third of the city's average daily electricity consumption 1

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. Mayor Katie Wilson, who first proposed the idea in April, told The Guardian that learning about these projects was the first she had heard of such plans, prompting immediate action 5

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Amazon Employees Lead Charge Against Data Center Power Consumption

In an unusual turn, current Amazon employees emerged as some of the moratorium's most vocal advocates. Liesl Wigand, a senior software engineer at Amazon and member of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, testified that the company's AI buildout reflects "a belief that AI should be how we solve everything, while ignoring the resources that it costs" 1

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. More than 1,000 Amazon employees signed an open letter last year accusing the company of "casting aside its climate goals to build AI."

Amazon software engineer Patrick Schloesser called for developers to provide 100 percent additional renewable energy to the area's power grid and face taxation for each layoff they conduct. Fellow engineer Darius Irani demanded public reporting of water and electricity usage, stating, "We can't rely on these companies to regulate themselves—Seattle needs to set the terms" 1

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. The activism reflects broader frustration as Amazon and Microsoft have laid off thousands of local workers while spending a projected $390 billion on AI investments in 2026 5

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Environmental Impact of Data Centers Drives Public Opposition

The moratorium on new large data centers followed an unprecedented outpouring of public concern. Councilmembers reported receiving more than 98,000 emails from residents, with over 50 people testifying at Tuesday's meeting—not one spoke in favor of the facilities 3

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. Residents cited rising utility rates, water consumption, noise pollution, and the displacement of single-family homes as primary concerns.

Andy Strong, a Seattle City Light representative, told The Seattle Times that the utility only has "so many engineers" and "so many project managers" to handle the sudden influx of proposals, warning "It's going to have an impact" 2

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. The proposed facilities would have consumed 10 times more power than the city's existing 30 data centers combined 1

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Seattle's Position on AI and Future Regulations on Data Center Construction

Councilmember Debora Juarez, who sponsored the resolution, declared, "This is Seattle's position on AI and data centers," drawing cheers when she said she would halt AI and data center development entirely if she could 3

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. Councilmember Eddie Lin emphasized that "Seattleites should not be subsidizing record profits of large corporations from the AI boom" while noting the city hosts smaller facilities that provide data processing for 911 call centers, hospitals, and cancer research 2

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The one-year ban on new data centers gives city officials time to study impacts on the power grid, water supply, land use, public health, and employment before drafting permanent regulations. A companion resolution calls for comprehensive analysis of these factors, with zoning legislation expected to reach the council by early 2027 3

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. Mayor Wilson indicated her administration will push for state-level regulation during Washington's next legislative session 5

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The ordinance exempts Seattle's roughly 30 existing smaller data centers, allowing each to expand by up to 20 megavolt-amperes during the moratorium period 3

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. However, activists worry this provision could undermine the pause by enabling significant expansion of existing facilities. According to the U.S. Data Center Moratorium Tracker, 77 local moratoria are currently active across the country, signaling widespread concern about AI infrastructure and its impact on local communities 2

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. The fate of Digital Realty's proposed facility at 301 Virginia Street, filed 11 days before the vote, remains unclear and may require legal clarification 3

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