Seattle Pauses Datacenters to Craft AI Rules and Utility Standards

Seattle’s city council committees approved a year-long moratorium on new datacenters to study impacts and draft regulations for the AI industry, including energy use, land use, labor standards, and potential public-benefit requirements, while exploring separate rates for large-load customers; the move aims to protect residents from costs and environmental harms and could set a regional precedent as tech workers and activists back the pause.