Seattle Mayor Considers Data Center Moratorium
More than 54,000 emails were sent to Seattle City Council members urging the ban.
April 24, 2026 – Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson (D) is weighing a moratorium on new data center development, as officials confront concerns over energy demand, environmental impact, and potential costs to ratepayers.
Wilson said Saturday the city is exploring a temporary pause after a surge of public opposition, including an online campaign that generated more than 54,000 emails urging a halt to new projects.
“It is important to know that the City of Seattle has not authorized nor permitted any new data centers,” Wilson wrote in a post to Facebook. “However, the prospect of massive new data centers being built in Seattle has raised understandably intense public alarm.”
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