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The City of Seattle
Ordinance
Council Bill
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An ordinance relating to land use and zoning; introducing a new definition for data centers; adopting a moratorium on the filing, acceptance, processing, or approval of applications for the establishment or expansion of, or change of use to, data centers; amending Section 23.84A.008 of the Seattle Municipal Code; approving a work plan; declaring an emergency; and establishing an immediate effective date; all by a 3/4 vote of the City Council.
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Be it ordained by The City of Seattle as follows:
Section 1. The City finds and declares:
A. The proliferation of data centers has the potential to significantly affect Seattle's energy and water infrastructure, utility affordability and reliability, jobs and economic development, public health, and the environment. Several companies have indicated interest in building large-scale data centers in Seattle.
B. Seattle's economy is in large part driven by a robust technology sector that may rely on data centers for server capacity both now and, increasingly, in the future, as the artificial intelligence sector grows. Data centers contribute to economic growth by enabling businesses to access much-needed processing and storage capacity.
C. Data centers are power-intensive and require significant water supplies for cooling equipment. Data centers may also be emissions-intensive if using fossil fuels.
D. Data centers can produce a significant amount of noise and heat that can negatively impact the health and wellbeing of surrounding communities.
E. In June 2026, Council expects to consider and take action on an ordinance codifying the 2027 and 2028 rates for Seattle City Light customers that would establish a separate rate for new large load customers.
F. Several smaller scale data centers exist in Seattle today, all in Downtown Seatt...
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