Thurston County residents won't see an AI data center break ground anytime soon.
The Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously on Aug. 18 to direct staff to draft a one-year moratorium on new data center permits, a preemptive move to buy time for zoning and environmental rules before any facility can win approval.
No data center applications are pending in the county, Ashley Arai, director of community planning and economic development, confirmed at the meeting, the Olympian reported.
But Commissioner Emily Clouse, who brought the motion, said the pause would let the county develop regulations covering noise, water use, environmental impact and transparency requirements before a proposal lands.
"That protects the county while we're going through this process of evaluating this emerging type of infrastructure," Clouse said.
The concern is not abstract. At a July 1 Planning Commission work session, Commissioner Bumbarger noted that even small data centers consume 300,000 gallons of water per day and discharge it immediately, raising alarms about impacts on critical aquifer recharge areas.
What happens next
County staff are already evaluating how to update planning regulations for data centers and will present their findings to the Planning Commission at its second September meeting. The board's Tuesday vote does not enact the moratorium itself. Staff must first return with a formal proposal for commissioners to review and vote on.
Commissioner Carolina Mejia amended Clouse's original motion to require that formal review step, saying she wants to ensure engagement with stakeholders including labor unions who could be affected. Mejia said she felt concerned about data center developments in other states but noted Washington already has robust environmental protections.
Board Chair Tye Menser said he supports the direction and plans to consult Snohomish County about how its six-month moratorium, adopted in June, has worked in practice.
A growing statewide pattern
Thurston County would join at least nine other Washington jurisdictions that have imposed data center moratoriums, including Seattle, Renton, Spokane, Skagit County and Snohomish County, according to the Municipal Research and Services Center. Nationally, at least 97 counties and 93 cities have imposed temporary or permanent bans, according to a database maintained by Interconnected Capital, an investment firm tracking the trend.
The state Legislature tried to address the issue in 2026 with House Bill 2515, which would have required utilities to create tariffs making large energy users pay the full cost of serving them. The bill did not pass and is expected to return in the 2027 session.
Clouse said that after the one-year moratorium period, the county could pursue a permanent ban with public support or adopt permanent protections to minimize harm.
How to weigh in
The Planning Commission meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month at The Atrium, 3000 Pacific Ave. SE in Olympia. Staff's data center presentation is scheduled for the commission's second September meeting.
