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The City of Seattle
Resolution
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A resolution relating to data centers; recognizing the potential of long-term impacts of data centers on electrical grid capacity and reliability, water usage, utility rates, land use and development, jobs and the economy, and public health; and requesting engagement and cooperation from the Executive in the development of data center policies and potential legislation; and anticipates related legislative action.
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Recitals:
Data centers may be generally defined as facilities used primarily for the housing, operation, or co-location of computer and communications equipment and handling, storing, managing, processing, and backing up of digital data, and associated infrastructure such as cooling systems, backup power systems, and battery storage.
The growth in the use of artificial intelligence has led to rapidly accelerating demand for new data centers.
New data centers require great amounts of electricity for operation, resulting in significant increases in demand for electricity and requiring investment in new infrastructure to meet demand.
The International Energy Agency reports that electricity consumption globally from data centers has grown 12 percent per year in the last five years.
The Yale Clean Energy Forum reports that data centers may consume roughly 12 percent of total U.S. power consumption by 2028 with a more conservative estimate of 9 percent of U.S. power consumption by 2030.
For perspective, the estimates of data center power consumption mean that by 2030 the U.S. may consume more electricity to power data processing than for the manufacture of all its steel, aluminum, cement, and other energy-intensive goods combined.
Increased demand for electricity and expanded infrastructure investment exacerbate and drive up cost pressures on electric utilities to raise rates on residential and business customers.
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