People in every corner of Washington are pushing back against giant data centers, but a patchwork of local pauses leaves many towns exposed. Gov. Bob Ferguson and the Washington State Legislature should pass a statewide moratorium on new hyperscale data center construction, so every community gets the same protection while stronger rules are written.

Seattle, Spokane, and Pierce County have already hit pause. But when one city or county says no, developers can look for land just past its borders. In Spokane, the city's pause doesn't reach a 1,000-megawatt project planned in nearby Airway Heights, and Spokane County's own pause is set to expire in December. In Walla Walla, residents are fighting a planned Amazon facility near the Wallula Gap after the local port sold the company land.

Residents across the state point to many of the same worries: higher power bills, strain on rivers and drinking water, noise, light, and pollution. In Spokane, still recovering from a destructive wildfire in August, many fear a huge facility could drain water the region may need for the next fire.

In 2026, a state bill with basic data center rules was weakened and then died in committee. Washington is home to Microsoft and Amazon, and the tech industry has a loud voice in Olympia. Residents deserve to be heard just as clearly. "A statewide moratorium would give time for regulators to catch up with this industry," Walla Walla organizer Allison Carney told Common Dreams.

No town should have to fight this alone, one county at a time. Sign the petition to tell Gov. Ferguson and state lawmakers to pass a statewide data center moratorium before the 2027 legislative session ends.