Seattle committee adopts resolution to study data-center impacts, adds tribal-rights and cumulative-impact amendments

The Parks and City Light Committee on June 3 adopted Resolution 32204, directing the executive branch and departments to study the long-term effects of large data centers on Seattle's electrical grid, water use, utility rates, land use, jobs and public health and to develop policy recommendations. The committee approved two sponsor amendments — one adding a recital on cumulative impacts and clarifying linkage to a City Light customer class, and a second explicitly recognizing rights of federally recognized tribes, urban Indians and Native communities — on unanimous 3–0 voice roll calls.

The resolution came after a 60-minute public comment period in which 18 in-person and nine remote speakers had signed up. Dozens of speakers urged the council to pause new large data center construction, citing concerns about grid strain, rising utility bills, water use, noise, and local public-health impacts. "If new data centers will occur in Seattle, why not just outright lure one to Seattle Center and take its waste heat to make steam for less cost than using natural gas?" said Jeff Sloan, a retired design manager who testified in favor of the moratorium and suggested reusing waste heat for district steam. Several other speakers urged stricter transparency rules, including public reporting of water and electricity usage and bans on nondisclosure agreements that can obscure resource use and ownership.

Council Central Staff analyst Eric McConaghy briefed the committee on the resolution’s intent and explained technical edits in Amendment 1 that align the text with parallel City Light work to create a new customer class for large energy users. "This is just to say in this resolution to develop policy...another ordinance the city's going to take up will add this customer class," McConaghy said, describing the policy linkage. Councilmember Strauss sponsored Amendment 2 to add language calling out treaty-based rights and the need to engage with federally recognized tribes; the amendment was adopted after discussion.

Chair Debora Juarez said the measures are a first step to ensure Seattle protects residents and resources amid a rapid national increase in megadata centers tied to A.I., and noted that a moratorium ordinance passed earlier that morning in the Land Use Committee will put a one-year pause on certain development while studies proceed. "If companies want to tap into Seattle's power grid they should help to strengthen it," Juarez said, framing the resolution around fairness so that growth "pays its own way."

The committee recorded the roll-call votes on both amendments and on the final, amended resolution: Councilmembers Strauss, Saka and Chair Juarez each voted AYE; no member opposed. The committee chair said Resolution 32204 will be forwarded to full council on June 9. The record also includes public commenters’ numeric claims (for example, speakers cited King County figures on homelessness, median rent figures and various estimates of megawatt impacts); those figures were reported as presented by speakers and have not been independently verified in committee materials.

Next steps identified in the record include the citywide interdepartmental study of data-center impacts, development of potential zoning and rate-code updates tied to City Light's customer-class work, outreach to tribes and communities, and exploration of community benefits or binding mitigation measures. The moratorium from the Land Use Committee will allow time for that study and related legislative work.