

Support Seattle's One-Year Moratorium on New Data Centers Before Big Tech Burns the City


Support Seattle's One-Year Moratorium on New Data Centers Before Big Tech Burns the City
The Issue
Five massive data centers are proposed for Seattle. Their combined electricity demand would equal one-third of the entire city's average daily power use — ten times more than Seattle's existing 30 data centers combined. The companies behind them are hiding behind NDAs and shell companies. Nobody knows who they are.
On June 9, the Seattle City Council will vote on a one-year moratorium on new large-scale data centers. The moratorium would pause new projects while the city develops real standards for water use, energy consumption, noise, and public accountability. It is not a permanent ban. It is a pause to get this right.
The support has been remarkable. Current Amazon engineers testified publicly — risking retaliation — against their own industry's unchecked buildout. Electrical engineers, software developers, and community members showed up overwhelmingly in favor. One Amazon senior engineer put it plainly: "Let's not let Big Tech burn Seattle to win the AI race."
Residents are already paying higher electricity bills because of data centers. People have lost jobs to AI while the companies building it spend hundreds of billions on infrastructure. Amazon alone is spending $200 billion on capital this year while laying off 30,000 employees.
New York's legislature just passed a similar one-year ban. Seattle has the same opportunity — and the same leverage.
Sign this petition to demand the Seattle City Council vote yes on the data center moratorium and set real terms for how Big Tech builds in this city.
Photo: Verge/Getty
204
The Issue
Five massive data centers are proposed for Seattle. Their combined electricity demand would equal one-third of the entire city's average daily power use — ten times more than Seattle's existing 30 data centers combined. The companies behind them are hiding behind NDAs and shell companies. Nobody knows who they are.
On June 9, the Seattle City Council will vote on a one-year moratorium on new large-scale data centers. The moratorium would pause new projects while the city develops real standards for water use, energy consumption, noise, and public accountability. It is not a permanent ban. It is a pause to get this right.
The support has been remarkable. Current Amazon engineers testified publicly — risking retaliation — against their own industry's unchecked buildout. Electrical engineers, software developers, and community members showed up overwhelmingly in favor. One Amazon senior engineer put it plainly: "Let's not let Big Tech burn Seattle to win the AI race."
Residents are already paying higher electricity bills because of data centers. People have lost jobs to AI while the companies building it spend hundreds of billions on infrastructure. Amazon alone is spending $200 billion on capital this year while laying off 30,000 employees.
New York's legislature just passed a similar one-year ban. Seattle has the same opportunity — and the same leverage.
Sign this petition to demand the Seattle City Council vote yes on the data center moratorium and set real terms for how Big Tech builds in this city.
Photo: Verge/Getty
204
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Petition created on June 9, 2026