Washington local moratoria

Every local infrastructure moratorium in the inventory for Washington, current through September 23, 2026.

42 instruments — 30 in force, 0 pending, 12 past.

State policy is tracked separately: 5 actions (5 bills) in state_legislation.csv. These are not included in the local count above.

Detailed entries

Black Diamond

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2026-03-03 (interim zoning controls prohibiting BESS citywide, Ordinance No. 26-1246, superseding an earlier BESS permit-application moratorium first adopted 2024-02-15 under Ordinance No. 24-1205 and renewed by Ordinance No. 25-1219 in February 2025); extended a further six months, with a small-system exception, by Ordinance No. 26-1258 (public hearing scheduled 2026-10-06)
• Normalized date: 2026-03-03 (exact)
• Duration: Six months per interim-zoning-control ordinance, renewed in six-month increments
• Current end date: 2027-03-01
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: wa-black-diamond-2026
• Legal basis: Black Diamond Ordinance No. 26-1246 (adopted 2026-03-03), adopting interim zoning controls prohibiting battery energy storage systems in all zones (amending BDMC 18.100.710); succeeded an earlier permit-application moratorium (Ordinance No. 24-1205, 2024-02-15, renewed by Ordinance No. 25-1219 in Feb. 2025). Ordinance No. 26-1246 was itself extended a further six months, with an exception for systems of 20 kW or less, by Ordinance No. 26-1258 (public hearing scheduled 2026-10-06)
• What prompted it: Developer inquiries about siting a BESS facility and whether it qualifies as a 'utilities' use under BDMC Title 18; City's regulations not updated for BESS-specific fire, hazardous-chemical, noise, and wildlife-impact risks; City wants to review King County's October 2024 BESS siting code revisions first
• Affected projects: Not identified; originated from a developer's pre-application inquiry rather than a filed permit
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. The city's interim zoning controls prohibiting BESS facilities citywide (with an exception for systems of 20 kW or less) remain in effect, extended by Ordinance No. 26-1258 for a further six months beyond the original Ordinance No. 26-1246 term (which otherwise would have expired around 2026-09-03); a public hearing on the extension is scheduled for 2026-10-06.
• Outcome: Black Diamond converted its earlier BESS permit-application moratorium into interim zoning controls outright prohibiting BESS citywide (Ordinance No. 26-1246, 2026-03-03), then extended that prohibition a further six months with a small-system exception (Ordinance No. 26-1258).

Bonney Lake

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: April 14, 2026 (emergency adoption)
• Normalized date: 2026-04-14 (exact)
• Duration: Six months from adoption
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: wa-bonney-lake-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 1754 (agenda bill AB26-33)
• What prompted it: Candidate BESS site near police/fire stations and residences; groundwater/fire-runoff concerns near Granger Springs wells
• Affected projects: None named; preemptive
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 (six-month term runs to Oct. 11, 2026); carina lists an Aug. 14, 2026 expiry that does not match the reported April 14, 2026 adoption date and appears to be a tracker error.
• Outcome: Staff and Community Development Committee to develop BESS siting regulations before expiry

Burien

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: City Council adopted Ordinance 905 by a 6-0 vote on 2026-06-29, effective immediately.
• Normalized date: 2026-06-29 (exact)
• Duration: One-year moratorium in all city districts on accepting, processing, or approving applications to establish, expand, or change a use to a data center with capacity exceeding 20 MVA. Preserves vested rights for complete permit applications filed before the effective date. Public hearing scheduled for 2026-07-13.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-burien-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 905; RCW 36.70A.390 interim zoning control
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31; one-year moratorium effective 2026-06-29.
• Outcome: —

City of Chelan

• Type: City
• Status: ⚪ Expired
• Date enacted: 2018-04-24
• Normalized date: 2018-04-24 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months from passage; automatically expired April 2019 unless extended (Ordinance 2018-1538, Section 3)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: wa-chelan-2018
• Legal basis: Ordinance 2018-1538; RCW 36.70A.390 and RCW 35A.63.220; Section 5 confirms public hearing held April 10, 2018 (within 60 days)
• What prompted it: Low-cost hydropower attracted cryptocurrency mining; city findings cite high electricity use, cooling equipment, fire-safety risk, and need to study electricity-distribution impacts
• Affected projects: Not quantified in ordinance
• Detailed status: Expired (automatic 12-month expiration April 2019); permanent zoning treatment subsequently incorporated through Comprehensive Plan amendment process
• Outcome: Interim control prohibited acceptance, conduct, and permitting of new cryptocurrency mining while the city studied code and comprehensive-plan changes

City of Cheney

• Type: City
• Status: ⚪ Expired
• Date enacted: 2018-04-21 (passed by City Council; effective immediately as a public-emergency ordinance per RCW 35A.11.090(2))
• Normalized date: 2018-04-21 (exact)
• Duration: Six months, 2018-04-24 to 2018-10-24 (Ordinance X-27, Section on Term)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: wa-cheney-2018
• Legal basis: Ordinance X-27; RCW 35A.63.220 (cited authority for code-city moratoria, including renewal authority)
• What prompted it: City-operated Light Department faced potential new large single electric loads greater than one MW (CMC 14.08.055); city findings cited fiscal health, capital facilities, utility capacity, and the need to study effects on the electric system
• Affected projects: Not identified in ordinance
• Detailed status: Expired (per Ordinance X-27, Section on Term: automatic expiration October 24, 2018, unless extended; no extension ordinance located in captured city documents as of 2026-04-29)
• Outcome: Ordinance imposed a temporary pause on filing, acceptance, and processing of applications for new or expanded cryptocurrency mining operations; public hearing required within 60 days per ordinance Section on Public Hearing

City of East Wenatchee

• Type: City
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: 2018-03-27 (Ordinance 2018-06); extension adopted in late 2018 with public hearing set for 2018-12-11 (Ordinance 2018-21)
• Normalized date: 2018-03-27 (exact)
• Duration: Initial six-month interim control (Ord. 2018-06: 2018-03-27 to 2018-09-27, per recital 2.10 of Ord. 2018-21); twelve-month extension under Ordinance 2018-21
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: wa-east-wenatchee-2018
• Legal basis: Ordinance 2018-06; Ordinance 2018-21 (twelve-month interim official zoning controls under RCW 35A.63.220 and RCW 36.70A.390); permanent regulations adopted by Ordinance 2019-19, which added EWMC 17.08.142, 17.08.192, 17.08.193, 17.08.194, and 17.72.270 and amended 17.34.010, 17.66.050, and 17.72.150
• What prompted it: Rapid cryptocurrency mining growth, high continuous electric demand, fire/life-safety risk, and Douglas County PUD electric infrastructure planning concerns identified in Ordinance 2018-21 recitals
• Affected projects: Not identified in captured city ordinance records; regional reports note moratoria coincided with redirected bitcoin investment in the Wenatchee Valley
• Detailed status: Replaced
• Outcome: Ordinance 2019-19 added permanent cryptocurrency mining and data-center provisions in EWMC Title 17, including Douglas County PUD load verification, Department of Labor and Industries electrical permits, and cryptocurrency-mining definitions

City of Entiat

• Type: City
• Status: ⚪ Expired
• Date enacted: 2018 (Ordinance 779); extension adopted via Ordinance 794 and a further extension via Ordinance 799
• Normalized date: 2018 (year_only)
• Duration: Initial interim control (Ord. 779) followed by extension (Ord. 794) and a further extension by Ord. 799; all three are listed as "Expired" in the Entiat Municipal Code ordinance table
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: wa-entiat-2018
• Legal basis: Entiat Ordinances 779, 794, and 799 (interim controls relating to cryptocurrency mining operations); RCW 35A.63.220 and RCW 36.70A.390 (city is non-charter code city)
• What prompted it: Regional cryptocurrency mining/high-density-load pressure tied to cheap Columbia River hydropower and Chelan County PUD capacity concerns; coordination with Chelan PUD regional response
• Affected projects: Not identified
• Detailed status: Expired
• Outcome: Interim controls expired without permanent zoning amendments captured in current Entiat Municipal Code searches; Entiat ordinance table lists each crypto-mining ordinance as expired

City of Ephrata

• Type: City
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: 2018-10-17 (Spokesman-Review reported the "City Council voted Wednesday" of 2018-10-17 to block new cryptocurrency operations for 12 months; vote 6-1 with Mayor Reim absent)
• Normalized date: 2018-10-17 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months (per Spokesman-Review: "yearlong ban on new cryptocurrency mining")
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: wa-ephrata-2018
• Legal basis: Interim moratorium adopted by City Council vote on 2018-10-17 (per Spokesman-Review); later codified and superseded within Ephrata Municipal Code (EMC) Chapter 19.30 'High Intensity Computer Operations,' whose legislative-history citation reads '(Ord 18-13, 2018; Ord 18-28, 2018).' Note: EMC 19.02's definition of 'high intensity computer operations' expressly excludes the exchange of cryptocurrency/virtual currency and peer-to-peer distributed-ledger maintenance, so the permanent code is framed as a broader high-density-computing-load prohibition rather than a cryptocurrency-specific one.
• What prompted it: Grant County PUD power-capacity uncertainty (Grant PUD received 125 service requests totaling >2,000 MW with ~75% from cryptocurrency firms), noise complaints from residents on Nob Hill Drive ("the noise was like an ocean"), and local concern over whether cryptocurrency mining fit the city utility and land-use framework
• Affected projects: Four existing cryptocurrency operations were reported (two at the Port of Ephrata, one in a city-zoned industrial area, and one in a residential area being relocated); the moratorium applied to new operations only
• Detailed status: Replaced. The 2018 temporary cryptocurrency-mining moratorium was superseded the same year by a permanent citywide prohibition on 'High Intensity Computer Operations' (EMC 19.30.010: 'All high intensity computer operations shall be prohibited within the City of Ephrata, including those conducted as a home occupation'), citing Ordinance 18-13 (2018) and Ordinance 18-28 (2018), confirmed via the City's own published Municipal Code as of 2026-09-23.
• Outcome: The temporary 2018 cryptocurrency-mining moratorium was followed, within the same year, by a permanent zoning prohibition on high-intensity computer operations (EMC Chapter 19.30), citing Ordinance 18-13 and Ordinance 18-28, confirmed via the current Ephrata Municipal Code (Title 19, Zoning Code).

City of Leavenworth

• Type: City
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: 2018-03-27
• Normalized date: 2018-03-27 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: wa-leavenworth-2018
• Legal basis: Ordinance 1561; RCW 36.70A.390 and RCW 35A.63.220; repealed by Ordinance 1585
• What prompted it: Chelan County PUD briefings on high-density-load growth, limited electrical capacity, and fire-safety risk in areas not designed for such loads
• Affected projects: Not quantified in captured ordinance materials
• Detailed status: Replaced
• Outcome: Ordinance table shows interim zoning control for cryptocurrency mining was repealed by Ordinance 1585

City of Moses Lake

• Type: City
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: 2018-05 (Columbia Basin Herald reported on 2018-05-28 that Moses Lake "City Council has passed an ordinance" "last week" that prohibits new operations; consistent with a May 2018 enactment date)
• Normalized date: 2018-05 (month_only)
• Duration: Up to 12 months (per Columbia Basin Herald: "for up to 12 months and will give the city time to study the impacts")
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: cryptocurrency mining, data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-moses-lake-2018
• Legal basis: Ordinance 2899 (interim provisions; "Repealed by 2900"); Ordinance 2900 (moratorium on cryptocurrency mining, server farms, and data centers; repealed Ordinance 2899); RCW 35A.63.220 and statutory 60-day public hearing requirement noted by Columbia Basin Herald
• What prompted it: City received inquiries for cryptocurrency operations; local report cited seven known operations (four unpermitted), a recent fire tied to an unpermitted Central Business District operation, residential-zone complaints, and absence of zoning-code treatment
• Affected projects: Seven known cryptocurrency operations reported; properly permitted/vested operations were not affected
• Detailed status: Replaced
• Outcome: Permanent code now regulates cryptocurrency mining operations, server farms, and data centers under Moses Lake Municipal Code Chapter 15.615

City of Seattle

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-09 (Seattle City Council unanimous final passage of Council Bill 121214 and companion Resolution 32204, under emergency designation); signed by Mayor Katie Wilson 2026-06-11; Ordinance No. 127447
• Normalized date: 2026-06-09 (exact)
• Duration: 365 days from the effective date (immediate, under emergency designation), automatically expiring thereafter unless renewed for one or more additional six-month periods in accordance with RCW 36.70A.390; a public hearing is required within 60 days of adoption.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-seattle-2026
• Legal basis: Seattle Ordinance No. 127447 (Council Bill 121214, amended), with companion Resolution 32204 (amended); adopted under the RCW 36.70A.390 interim-zoning-control procedure. Amends SMC 23.84A.008 to define "data center" as a facility used primarily for storing and processing digital data, with power capacity over 20 Megavolt-Amperes and requiring uninterruptible power, and imposes a moratorium on the filing, acceptance, processing, or approval of applications to establish or expand such uses.
• What prompted it: Five proposed large-scale data centers reportedly seeking Seattle City Light service, with combined maximum demand of 369 MW (about a third of Seattle's average daily power consumption); public concern over ratepayer, environmental justice, and power-supply impacts
• Affected projects: Five proposed Seattle data centers, 369 MW combined maximum demand, per Seattle Times report (2026-04-10) and GeekWire follow-up (2026-04-19)
• Detailed status: Active. Adopted by City Council 2026-06-09 (unanimous), signed by Mayor Wilson 2026-06-11. Companion Resolution 32204 directs a study/policy process (grid capacity, water use, utility rates, land use, jobs, and public health impacts) with reports and proposed permanent legislation due by January 2027. Two data center projects that were already vested under prior rules are not covered by the moratorium; new applications from companies including Prologis, Equinix, and Sabey are paused pending the study process. No source dated after early-to-mid summer 2026 was located to further update this status as of 2026-07-31.
• Outcome: Moratorium enacted 2026-06-09; the city is using the pause and the companion Resolution 32204 working-group process to study grid, water, ratepayer, and environmental-justice impacts and to develop permanent siting/zoning rules, with reports and proposed permanent legislation due by January 2027.

City of Wenatchee

• Type: City
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: 2018-02-22; extended 2019-02-14
• Normalized date: 2018-02-22 (exact)
• Duration: Initial six-month interim official control under RCW 35A.63.220 and RCW 36.70A.390; extended for an additional six months by Ordinance 2019-04 (effective approximately 2019-02-23) until permanent zoning amendments were adopted
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: wa-wenatchee-2018
• Legal basis: Ordinance 2018-04 (interim official control, "Not codified" per Wenatchee ordinance table); Ordinance 2019-04 (extension; repealed by Ordinance 2019-30); Ordinance 2019-30 (permanent regulations); RCW 35A.63.220 and RCW 36.70A.390
• What prompted it: Cryptocurrency mining/high-density-load growth, power-distribution concerns, and fire/safety concerns identified during the Chelan PUD-driven regional response
• Affected projects: Not quantified in primary city code table; regional reports describe delayed or redirected bitcoin data center investment, including a $100 million Salcido Enterprises expansion that was redirected outside Washington (NWPB, 2018-04-09)
• Detailed status: Replaced
• Outcome: Ordinance 2019-30 added WMC 10.48.310, amended sections 10.08.050, 10.08.055, and 10.10.020 to regulate cryptocurrency mining and data centers, and repealed Ordinance 2019-04

Cle Elum

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-31, City Council unanimously approved an emergency six-month moratorium at a special meeting, three days after Blue Fern Development unveiled a 20 MW data center proposal
• Normalized date: 2026-07-31 (exact)
• Duration: Six months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-cle-elum-2026
• Legal basis: Cle Elum City Council emergency ordinance, adopted 2026-07-31, imposing a six-month moratorium on data center/high-intensity-computing-facility applications
• What prompted it: Blue Fern Development's July 28, 2026 proposal for a roughly 100,000-sq-ft, 20 MW 'research sized' data center within a residential/commercial development near I-90; concerns over electricity, water, fire protection, noise, and local economic effects
• Affected projects: Blue Fern Development's proposed roughly 100,000-sq-ft, 20 MW data center near I-90
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Six-month emergency moratorium adopted 2026-07-31; a public hearing was scheduled for 2026-09-08. The moratorium may not stop the Blue Fern project, which may be reviewed under a preexisting development agreement; the city must still decide whether a data center qualifies as an already-permitted use. An advisory committee has been formed to study power, water, wastewater, tax, and jobs impacts.
• Outcome: Cle Elum City Council unanimously adopted an emergency six-month moratorium on new data center facilities on 2026-07-31.

Covington

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2024-05-14 (original 12-month BESS moratorium, Ordinance No. 07-2024); renewed six months at a time by Ordinance No. 03-2025, No. 09-2025, and most recently No. 02-2026 (adopted 2026-04-14)
• Normalized date: 2024-05-14 (exact)
• Duration: Initial 12 months, renewed in successive six-month increments; the current renewal (Ordinance No. 02-2026) was adopted 2026-04-14 concurrently with a public hearing
• Current end date: 2026-10-25
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: wa-covington-2024
• Legal basis: Covington Ordinance No. 07-2024 (2024-05-14, original 12-month BESS moratorium under RCW 35A.63.220/36.70A.390), renewed by Ordinance No. 03-2025, No. 09-2025, and most recently No. 02-2026 (adopted 2026-04-14, six-month renewal with public hearing held the same day)
• What prompted it: BESS facilities present fire, explosion, hazardous-chemical, noise, visual, and wildlife-impact risks not addressed by the City's outdated 'Utility Facility' zoning definition (CMC 18.20.050/18.125.040); City wants to align with King County's BESS siting standards and Dept. of Ecology guidance before permitting such facilities
• Affected projects: Not identified; moratorium is preemptive/study-driven rather than tied to a specific pending project
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. BESS permit-application moratorium continuously renewed since May 2024; the current six-month renewal (Ordinance No. 02-2026, adopted 2026-04-14) runs through approximately 2026-10-14 absent a further renewal or repeal.
• Outcome: City of Covington has continuously renewed a battery energy storage system permitting moratorium since Ordinance No. 07-2024 (2024-05-14); most recently renewed by Ordinance No. 02-2026 on 2026-04-14 for an additional six months.

Douglas County

• Type: County
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: 2018-04-17, Board of Douglas County Commissioners approved a moratorium on the use of cargo containers to house cryptocurrency mining operations in unincorporated Douglas County (per Wenatchee World, published 2018-04-17, describing the vote as taken 'Tuesday')
• Normalized date: 2018-04-17 (exact)
• Duration: Not verified from primary ordinance text; MRSC characterizes the action as a moratorium on cargo-container cryptocurrency mining operations
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: wa-douglas-county-2018
• Legal basis: County moratorium on use of cargo containers for cryptocurrency mining, reported by MRSC; later code amendments TLS 19-12-31C addressed cargo containers and cryptocurrency mining; RCW 36.70A.390 (county plans under the Growth Management Act)
• What prompted it: The Board's primary stated concern was the aesthetics of cargo containers used to house cryptocurrency mining equipment in unincorporated areas (cargo containers were otherwise broadly allowed countywide, with only the East Wenatchee Urban Growth Area separately regulating their placement and appearance). Separately, Douglas County PUD had issued its own 3-month moratorium on electric service applications for cryptocurrency/data-mining loads, running March-May 2014 (not 2018), later replaced by a tiered rate structure and contract requirements for consumers using 1.5+ MW.
• Affected projects: Not identified
• Detailed status: Replaced
• Outcome: Douglas County code now contains cryptocurrency mining and data center operational standards, including PUD verification and noise/performance controls

Duvall

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-02, City Council unanimous vote adopting Ordinance No. 1353 (signed 2026-06-03)
• Normalized date: 2026-06-02 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months from adoption; Ordinance No. 1353, Section 3 ('Effective Period for Renewal of the Moratorium') states it 'shall be in effect for a period of 12 months from the date this ordinance is adopted and shall automatically expire at the conclusion of those 12 months' unless extended or sooner terminated. The ordinance's title recites 'six months,' which is a drafting inconsistency; both whereas clauses and the operative Section 3 state 12 months.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: wa-duvall-2026
• Legal basis: Duvall Ordinance No. 1353, adopted 2026-06-02 (signed 2026-06-03), establishing a temporary moratorium on BESS facility applications under RCW 35A.63.220/36.70A.390; public hearing held 2026-07-07
• What prompted it: City's DMC 14.06.190 'subregional utility' definition and DMC 14.62.020 permitted/conditional uses not updated for BESS technology; broader Snoqualmie Valley regional concern over BESS siting, fire, and safety risk
• Affected projects: Not identified
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Moratorium on BESS facility applications adopted 2026-06-02 (Ordinance No. 1353) for a confirmed 12-month term (running through approximately 2027-06-02), notwithstanding the ordinance's title reciting six months; a public hearing was held 2026-07-07.
• Outcome: Duvall City Council unanimously adopted a temporary BESS moratorium (Ordinance No. 1353) on 2026-06-02, following Snoqualmie, North Bend, and Carnation's example; a public hearing was held 2026-07-07.

Enumclaw

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2025-02-24, first reading of Ordinance No. 2806 (the original 12-month BESS moratorium; confirmed via a 2025-04-14 public hearing). Extended 12 additional months from Ordinance 2806's Feb. 24, 2026 expiration by Ordinance No. 2833, which had its public hearing/first reading 2026-02-09 and was adopted 7-0 on second reading 2026-03-09 (not Feb. 23 as previously recorded)
• Normalized date: 2025-02-24 (exact)
• Duration: Originally 12 months (Ordinance 2806); extended 12 additional months from the Feb. 24, 2026 expiration by Ordinance 2833 (adopted on second reading 2026-03-09), running through approximately 2027-02-24
• Current end date: 2027-02-24
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: wa-enumclaw-2025
• Legal basis: Enumclaw Ordinance No. 2806, adopted on first reading 2025-02-24, imposing a 12-month moratorium on acceptance/processing/approval of BESS facility applications; confirmed via a 2025-04-14 public hearing. Extended 12 additional months from the Feb. 24, 2026 expiration by Ordinance No. 2833, which had its public hearing/first reading 2026-02-09 and was adopted 7-0 on second reading at the March 9, 2026 council meeting (per official minutes; not Feb. 23 as previously recorded, and not 'the same number' -- 2833 is a distinct ordinance number from the original 2806)
• What prompted it: Concern over a BESS proposed in a residential neighborhood near Matson Middle School in unincorporated King County (which Covington's City Council formally opposed in a letter); fire, health, and environmental risk concerns raised by residents
• Affected projects: A BESS proposed in a residential neighborhood near Matson Middle School, in unincorporated King County near Enumclaw (not within city limits)
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. The original 12-month moratorium (Ordinance 2806, adopted 2025-02-24) was extended 12 additional months from its Feb. 24, 2026 expiration by Ordinance 2833, adopted 7-0 on second reading at the March 9, 2026 council meeting (public hearing/first reading held 2026-02-09); runs through approximately 2027-02-24 absent further action.
• Outcome: Enumclaw City Council adopted a 12-month BESS moratorium (Ordinance 2806) on 2025-02-24; following a 2026-02-09 public hearing/first reading, the Council adopted an extension (Ordinance 2833) 7-0 on second reading at the March 9, 2026 meeting, extending the moratorium 12 additional months from the original Feb. 24, 2026 expiration date.

Federal Way

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: City Council unanimously adopted emergency Ordinance No. 26-1048 on 2026-07-07, effective immediately.
• Normalized date: 2026-07-07 (exact)
• Duration: 12-month citywide moratorium barring the siting, creation, or expansion of data centers and the acceptance, processing, or approval of related land-use and building-permit applications, for facilities exceeding 1 megawatt or 4,000 square feet. Preserves vested rights. Public hearing scheduled for 2026-09-01.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-federal-way-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. 26-1048; RCW 36.70A.390 interim zoning control
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31; 12-month moratorium effective 2026-07-07.
• Outcome: —

Kitsap County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2025-06-11 (original 365-day BESS moratorium, Ordinance No. 639-2025); extended 180 days by Ordinance No. 645-2026 following a 2026-05-11 public hearing
• Normalized date: 2025-06-11 (exact)
• Duration: 365 days initially, plus a 180-day extension
• Current end date: 2026-12-07
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: wa-kitsap-county-2025
• Legal basis: Kitsap County Ordinance No. 639-2025 (adopted 2025-06-11, 365-day BESS application moratorium under RCW 36.70.795/36.70A.390), extended 180 days by Ordinance No. 645-2026 (following a public hearing held 2026-05-11)
• What prompted it: Increased developer requests to site BESS facilities countywide; County zoning code does not contemplate BESS development or ensure adequate protections; County wants to complete workplan studies (fire, noise, wildlife, Dept. of Ecology guidance, HB 1216/WAC 51.54A.0322 compliance) before adopting permanent regulations
• Affected projects: Not identified
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Moratorium on new BESS facility applications in unincorporated Kitsap County, originally adopted 2025-06-11 (365 days) and extended 180 days by Ordinance No. 645-2026 following a 2026-05-11 public hearing; runs through approximately 2026-12-08 absent further extension or the adoption of permanent regulations.
• Outcome: Kitsap County Board of Commissioners adopted a 365-day BESS moratorium (Ordinance No. 639-2025) on 2025-06-11, later extended 180 days by Ordinance No. 645-2026.

Kittitas County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2026-08-10, Board of County Commissioners approved (2-0, one commissioner absent) an emergency six-month moratorium on data center applications by resolution; extended a further six months following a 2026-09-15 public hearing
• Normalized date: 2026-08-10 (exact)
• Duration: Originally six months; extended an additional six months on/around 2026-09-15 (approximately one year total)
• Current end date: 2027-08-10
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-kittitas-county-2026
• Legal basis: Kittitas County Board of Commissioners resolution, adopted 2026-08-10, imposing an emergency six-month moratorium on acceptance/processing/review/approval of data center land-use applications in unincorporated Kittitas County under RCW 36.70A.390; extended an additional six months by a further resolution following a 2026-09-15 public hearing and five-page work plan (through September 2027)
• What prompted it: Concerns stemming from Cle Elum-area (Blue Fern Development) interest in siting a data center in Upper Kittitas County; county code does not adequately define or classify data centers for land use, zoning, environmental, building, infrastructure, and permitting review
• Affected projects: Not identified; no applications received as of 2026-09-17
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Originally adopted as an emergency six-month moratorium on 2026-08-10 (prompted by concern over a possible Cle Elum-area project); the Board approved a further six-month extension following a 2026-09-15 public hearing, per a five-page work plan running through September 2027, extending the total pause to roughly one year. No data center applications had been received as of the extension.
• Outcome: Kittitas County Commissioners adopted an emergency six-month data center moratorium on 2026-08-10, then extended it another six months following a 2026-09-15 public hearing.

La Conner

• Type: Town
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-28, Town Council unanimous vote adopting an emergency moratorium (likely Ordinance No. 1274, per the ordinance-number tracker shown on the July 28, 2026 council agenda; the draft ordinance text itself left the number blank)
• Normalized date: 2026-07-28 (exact)
• Duration: Six months minimum; by its own terms the moratorium does not terminate until the Council, following the required public hearing, adopts findings and either extends or cancels it -- termination is not presumed to occur merely because six months have elapsed
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-la-conner-2026
• Legal basis: La Conner Town Council emergency ordinance (likely No. 1274) adopted 2026-07-28 under RCW 35.63.200 and RCW 36.70A.390, effective immediately
• What prompted it: Town lacks guidelines/policies addressing data centers' large-scale water and electricity use, which could strain public infrastructure, deplete water resources during drought, and constrain industrial growth/climate resilience; adopted following Skagit County's June 2026 moratorium
• Affected projects: None proposed as of adoption
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Six-month emergency moratorium on accepting data center permit applications within town limits, adopted 2026-07-28; a public hearing was required within roughly two months of adoption.
• Outcome: La Conner Town Council unanimously adopted an emergency six-month moratorium on data center applications on 2026-07-28, following Skagit County's example.

Lincoln County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Adopted by the Board of County Commissioners on or about September 8-9, 2026
• Normalized date: 2026-09 (month_only)
• Duration: Six months from adoption unless repealed or changed
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, battery storage
• Moratorium ID: wa-lincoln-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 26-02
• What prompted it: County code does not specifically address data centers or BESS; growing demand for digital storage and strain on land, power, cooling water
• Affected projects: None reported
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; RCW 36.70A.390 follow-up public hearing scheduled for Oct. 5, 2026.
• Outcome: Public hearing required within 60 days of adoption per state law

Marysville

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance No. 3381 on 2026-07-13.
• Normalized date: 2026-07-13 (exact)
• Duration: Six-month pause on acceptance, processing, and approval of land-use and permit applications for facilities whose principal use is digital-data processing, storage, management, or transmission; incidental server equipment supporting another principal use is excluded. Public hearing required within 60 days.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-marysville-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. 3381; RCW 36.70A.390 interim zoning control
• What prompted it: Study period covers siting, public safety, land-use compatibility, water and sewer planning, utility rates, and permanent code amendments.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31; six-month moratorium effective 2026-07-13.
• Outcome: —

Mount Vernon

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2025-05-28 (original BESS moratorium, Ordinance No. 3913); continued/ratified by Ordinance No. 3915 (adopted 2025-07-23) for a maximum of one year from Ordinance 3913's adoption
• Normalized date: 2025-05-28 (exact)
• Duration: Maximum one year from adoption of Ordinance 3913 (2025-05-28) per Ordinance 3915; renewed for a further six months by Ordinance No. 3940, adopted 2026-05-27 following a public hearing the same day, running through approximately 2026-11-27 absent further renewal
• Current end date: 2026-11-27
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: wa-mount-vernon-2025
• Legal basis: Mount Vernon Ordinance No. 3913 (2025-05-28), an emergency moratorium on accepting permits to construct/site/develop grid-scale battery energy storage systems, continued and ratified by Ordinance No. 3915 (2025-07-23) for a maximum of one year from Ordinance 3913's adoption; renewed for a further six months by Ordinance No. 3940, adopted 2026-05-27 (public hearing held the same day), extending the moratorium through approximately 2026-11-27
• What prompted it: City lacked siting criteria/safety standards/emergency-response requirements for grid-scale BESS; concern over lithium-ion fire and thermal-runaway risk, noise, and aesthetic compatibility with residential/retail zones
• Affected projects: Not identified
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. The BESS permit-application moratorium first adopted via Ordinance 3913 (2025-05-28) and continued via Ordinance 3915 (2025-07-23) was renewed for a further six months by Ordinance No. 3940, adopted 2026-05-27 following a public hearing held the same day; runs through approximately 2026-11-27 absent further renewal or the adoption of permanent BESS regulations, which the City is still developing.
• Outcome: Mount Vernon City Council adopted an emergency BESS moratorium (Ordinance 3913) on 2025-05-28, continued it via Ordinance 3915 (2025-07-23) for up to one year, and renewed it for a further six months via Ordinance 3940 (adopted 2026-05-27); the moratorium remains in force through approximately 2026-11-27.

Mount Vernon

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-12, City Council vote (one dissent) for a six-month moratorium, Ordinance No. 3943
• Normalized date: 2026-08-12 (exact)
• Duration: Six months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-mount-vernon-2026
• Legal basis: Mount Vernon Ordinance No. 3943, adopted 2026-08-12, declaring an emergency and imposing a moratorium on accepting permit applications for data centers; public hearing required within 60 days per RCW 36.70A.390
• What prompted it: Concerns over electricity and water demand, city capacity to accommodate large facilities, stormwater/sewer planning, and the city's location within the Skagit River 100-year floodplain
• Affected projects: None proposed as of adoption; future data center permit applications citywide
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Six-month moratorium on data center permit applications, adopted 2026-08-12 (Councilmember Andrew Vander Stoep dissenting); no data centers had been proposed in Mount Vernon as of adoption. A public hearing was required within 60 days of adoption.
• Outcome: Mount Vernon City Council adopted a six-month moratorium on data center permit applications via Ordinance No. 3943 on 2026-08-12, following Skagit County (June 2026) and La Conner (July 2026).

North Bend

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-19, City Council unanimous vote approving a 12-month BESS moratorium
• Normalized date: 2026-05-19 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: wa-north-bend-2026
• Legal basis: North Bend City Council ordinance, adopted 2026-05-19, enacting a 12-month moratorium on acceptance/processing/approval of BESS-related land development applications
• What prompted it: Opposition to Jupiter Power's proposed 130 MW BESS facility near Fisher Creek Park, within North Bend's/Snoqualmie's urban growth area (sited in unincorporated King County); Council also authorized a formal objection letter to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission
• Affected projects: Jupiter Power's proposed 130 MW battery energy storage facility near Fisher Creek Park (sited in unincorporated King County within North Bend's/Snoqualmie's urban growth area, so not directly covered by the moratorium itself)
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. 12-month BESS permitting moratorium adopted 2026-05-19; the City also formally objected to the Jupiter Power BESS siting via a letter to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (filed before the May 26, 2026 comment deadline).
• Outcome: North Bend City Council unanimously adopted a 12-month BESS moratorium on 2026-05-19.

Pasco

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-20, City Council unanimously (6-0) adopted emergency Ordinance No. 4850
• Normalized date: 2026-07-20 (exact)
• Duration: Six-month (180-day) moratorium from adoption of emergency Ordinance No. 4850 on 2026-07-20; a required public hearing was held within 60 days, on 2026-09-08, with no formal extension vote taken
• Current end date: 2027-01-20
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: wa-pasco-undated
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. 4850 (City of Pasco), adopted 2026-07-20 as an emergency ordinance with an immediate effective date; imposes a six-month moratorium on acceptance/processing of business license and development permit applications for new data centers, cryptocurrency mining, blockchain computing, and AI computing facilities; requires a public hearing within 60 days (held 2026-09-08)
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: Business license and development permit applications (including building permits, conditional use permits, site plan reviews, subdivisions, and pre-application conferences) for new data centers, cryptocurrency mining, blockchain computing, and artificial intelligence computing facilities citywide; does not apply to applications already complete before the ordinance's adoption. No applications had been filed as of the 2026-09-08 hearing.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Confirmed via the City of Pasco's own Laserfiche records portal (Ordinance No. 4850, adopted 2026-07-20) and Tri-City Herald reporting on the required 2026-09-08 public hearing, at which no formal extension or other action was taken; the six-month term runs to approximately 2027-01-20 absent further Council action. City staff plan to present a recommended data-center ordinance to Council no later than December 2026.
• Outcome: City Council unanimously (6-0) adopted emergency Ordinance No. 4850 on 2026-07-20, imposing a six-month moratorium on data center, cryptocurrency mining, blockchain computing, and AI computing facility permits; the required public hearing was held 2026-09-08 with no changes made to the moratorium.

Pierce County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-25, County Council passed Emergency Ordinance No. 2026-557 by a 6-1 vote (Councilmember Dave Morell dissenting)
• Normalized date: 2026-08-25 (exact)
• Duration: Up to one year from the date the County Executive signs it, unless extended or lifted by Council
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-pierce-county-2026
• Legal basis: Pierce County Emergency Ordinance No. 2026-557, passed by the County Council 2026-08-25 (6-1); emergency ordinances require a 5-of-7 supermajority
• What prompted it: Absence of data-center-specific development standards in the Pierce County Code (data centers currently classified as Intermediate Manufacturing/Assembly under PCC 18A.33.280.E.4); concern over impacts of hyperscale facilities exceeding 10 MW
• Affected projects: New and expanded data center permits over 10 MW in unincorporated Pierce County; none currently pending
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Prohibits filing, processing, or approval of permits for new and expanded data centers exceeding 10 megawatts in unincorporated Pierce County for up to one year from the Executive's signature; a public hearing is scheduled for 2026-10-20. No hyperscale data center applications were pending as of adoption; the Planning & Public Works Department is developing permanent regulations.
• Outcome: County Council passed an emergency one-year moratorium (Ordinance No. 2026-557) on data centers exceeding 10 MW in unincorporated areas on 2026-08-25 by a 6-1 vote, while staff develop permanent data center regulations.

Port Angeles

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: September 1, 2026 (council resolution, adopted unanimously with one member excused)
• Normalized date: 2026-09-01 (exact)
• Duration: Six months from adoption, renewable
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-port-angeles-2026
• Legal basis: City Council resolution (no number reported), Sept. 1, 2026
• What prompted it: Council concern over water, power, noise and environmental effects of data centers; no application had been filed
• Affected projects: None; no data center applications filed as of adoption
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; council held a required public hearing Sept. 16, 2026 and kept the moratorium unchanged while staff drafts permanent regulations.
• Outcome: Staff directed to return with permanent regulations within the moratorium term

Puyallup

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: Adopted by City Council, reported around June 2, 2026
• Normalized date: 2026-06 (month_only)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: wa-puyallup-2026
• Legal basis: City Council ordinance (number not found in coverage reviewed)
• What prompted it: BESS not specifically addressed in municipal code; recent local battery fire incident cited by council
• Affected projects: None identified; preemptive
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 per carina tracker (expires 2027-06-02); city held a required public hearing July 21, 2026.
• Outcome: Staff to return with proposed BESS code updates before the moratorium expires

Renton

• Type: City
• Status: ⚪ Expired
• Date enacted: April 2022
• Normalized date: 2022-04 (month_only)
• Duration: Six months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: wa-renton-2022
• Legal basis: Ordinance No. 6061
• What prompted it: Tenaska 250 MW BESS proposal on land 50 feet from homes; city land-use code lacked a BESS category
• Affected projects: Tenaska industrial-scale BESS proposal in Renton
• Detailed status: Expired 2022-10-18; superseded by Renton's later, unrelated 2026 data-center moratorium (existing row wa-renton-2026), which does not cover battery storage. [VERIFY primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.6 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: Moratorium expired per its own sunset clause; outcome of the underlying zoning question not confirmed in this pass

Renton

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-17, City Council unanimous vote approving a one-year moratorium (city administration had been directed to begin drafting it by a June 1, 2026 council motion)
• Normalized date: 2026-08-17 (exact)
• Duration: Up to one year (365 days) from the effective date
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-renton-2026
• Legal basis: City of Renton moratorium ordinance, adopted 2026-08-17 under RCW 36.70A.390
• What prompted it: Community concern about AI-driven data center growth's impacts on electrical/water utility capacity, utility rates, land use, traffic, noise, air quality from backup generation, and public infrastructure; originated with Councilmember Kim-Khanh Van's June 1, 2026 motion
• Affected projects: New or expanded large data center siting citywide; no specific proposed project identified in reporting
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Moratorium on filing, acceptance, processing, and approval of applications/permits for the siting, establishment, or expansion of large data centers, adopted 2026-08-17 for up to one year; does not apply to applications pending before the effective date or to maintenance/repair of existing facilities that do not expand footprint or utility capacity.
• Outcome: Renton City Council unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on large data centers on 2026-08-17, following a June 1, 2026 council motion directing staff to begin drafting it.

Seattle

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-09, City Council adoption (Council Bill 121214 and companion Resolution 32204)
• Normalized date: 2026-06-09 (exact)
• Duration: 365 days from the effective date of Ordinance No. 127447 (effective 2026-06-11), automatically expiring at the end of that period unless renewed for one or more six-month periods under RCW 36.70A.390 or terminated earlier by Council
• Current end date: 2027-06-11
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-seattle-2026-2
• Legal basis: Seattle Ordinance No. 127447 (Council Bill 121214), passed by the City Council 2026-06-09 by a 3/4 vote and approved by Mayor Katie Wilson 2026-06-11; amends SMC 23.84A.008 to define 'data center' and adopts the moratorium under RCW 36.70A.390, with a companion work plan (Attachment A) and companion Resolution 32204 (policy framework)
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: New large data center siting citywide
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Confirmed via the City's official ordinance text (Ord. No. 127447) and City Council press release: the moratorium on filing/acceptance/processing/approval of applications for new or expanded large-scale (>20 MVA) data centers took effect 2026-06-11 and runs 365 days (through approximately 2027-06-11) unless renewed in six-month increments under RCW 36.70A.390 or ended earlier by Council. The required public hearing was held 2026-07-15 before the Land Use and Sustainability Committee (hearing only, no vote); no extension or termination has been found as of 2026-09-23.
• Outcome: Council unanimously adopted legislation placing a temporary freeze on new data center siting pending impact studies

Skagit County

• Type: County
• Status: ⚪ Expired
• Date enacted: September 23, 2024
• Normalized date: 2024-09-23 (exact)
• Duration: Six months, extendable by the Board
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: wa-skagit-county-2024
• Legal basis: Interim Ordinance (Ordinance #O20240073 per staff report)
• What prompted it: Board concern that a proposed new Ag-NRL energy-facility ordinance could trigger a rush of permit applications on Skagit farmland
• Affected projects: None named at adoption; precautionary, ahead of anticipated permit rush
• Detailed status: Expired; the interim moratorium ran on farmland (Ag-NRL) parcels and was intended to bridge to permanent Ag-NRL energy-facility zoning regulations. Existing row wa-skagit-county-2026 (enacted 2026-06-01) covers only data_center; this BESS-specific 2024 pause is a separate, now-lapsed instrument.
• Outcome: Planning Commission proceeded to develop permanent Ag-NRL utility regulations

Skagit County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-01
• Normalized date: 2026-06-01 (exact)
• Duration: Six months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-skagit-county-2026
• Legal basis: Board of County Commissioners action under RCW 36.70A.390 (interim zoning control); public hearing held 2026-07-14
• What prompted it: Concerns about protecting farmland and water resources in unincorporated Skagit County from large-scale data center development
• Affected projects: Facilities larger than 2,000 square feet or with an anticipated electrical load of 2 megawatts or greater.
• Detailed status: In effect in unincorporated Skagit County (outside incorporated cities and towns); a public hearing required under RCW 36.70A.390 was held 2026-07-14.
• Outcome: Temporary ban on data centers in unincorporated Skagit County while the county considers longer-term regulation.

Skamania County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-18, Board of Commissioners adopted Resolution 2026-22 (unanimous), after first approving it by motion earlier in the same meeting
• Normalized date: 2026-08-18 (exact)
• Duration: Six months (the default term under RCW 36.70A.390 absent a work plan for a longer period; the Board was told at adoption that the moratorium 'lasts... six months, with another hearing to continue it')
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-skamania-county-2026
• Legal basis: Skamania County Resolution 2026-22, 'Moratorium on Data Centers,' adopted unanimously 2026-08-18 under RCW 36.70A.390; because no hearing was held before adoption, a public hearing must be held within 60 days (by 2026-10-17)
• What prompted it: Eight of nine public commenters at the August 18, 2026 meeting requested a pause on data center development, citing electricity/water demand, noise/light, limited county land and resources, and the view that applications 'seem to pop out of nowhere at a rapid pace'; no specific project or pending applications
• Affected projects: None; zero applications received as of 2026-08-25
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. County-wide moratorium on data center development, adopted by motion and then as Resolution 2026-22 on 2026-08-18; zero applications for a data center had been received as of 2026-08-25. A public hearing was expected around 2026-10-13, required no later than 2026-10-17 under RCW 36.70A.390; as of the Board's September 9, 2026 minutes, no hearing date had been formally set.
• Outcome: Skamania County Board of Commissioners adopted a moratorium on data center development, first by motion and then as Resolution 2026-22, both unanimous, at its 2026-08-18 meeting.

Snohomish County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: County Council approved Emergency Ordinance 26-026 on 2026-06-24, effective immediately.
• Normalized date: 2026-06-24 (exact)
• Duration: Six-month interim zoning control under RCW 36.70A.390 pausing the filing, acceptance, processing, or approval of applications to establish or expand data centers (including incidental uses) or to change a use to a data center, in all zones of unincorporated Snohomish County. Requires a public hearing within 60 days and permits six-month renewals after hearing and findings.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-snohomish-county-2026
• Legal basis: Emergency Ordinance 26-026; RCW 36.70A.390 interim zoning control
• What prompted it: Covers data centers with a total planned electrical load of at least 2 MW; adopted while the county develops permanent regulations.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31; six-month interim control effective 2026-06-24, renewable in six-month increments after hearing and findings.
• Outcome: —

Snoqualmie

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-26, City Council unanimous vote adopting Ordinance No. 1322
• Normalized date: 2026-05-26 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: wa-snoqualmie-2026
• Legal basis: Snoqualmie Ordinance No. 1322, adopted 2026-05-26, establishing a 12-month moratorium on acceptance/processing/approval of land use and building permit applications for new BESS facilities, with a required public hearing within 60 days
• What prompted it: Jupiter Power's proposed 130 MW BESS on a 45-acre lot behind Fisher Creek Park near Snoqualmie Ridge, within Snoqualmie's urban growth area but in unincorporated King County; residents formed a nonprofit opposing the project
• Affected projects: Jupiter Power's proposed 130 MW BESS near Fisher Creek Park (in unincorporated King County, outside city jurisdiction, so unaffected by this moratorium)
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. 12-month moratorium (Ordinance No. 1322) on new BESS facility applications, adopted 2026-05-26; does not affect the Jupiter Power project itself, which sits in unincorporated King County outside Snoqualmie's jurisdiction.
• Outcome: Snoqualmie City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance No. 1322 on 2026-05-26, a 12-month moratorium on new BESS facility permit applications.

Spokane

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-23, Ordinance C36887
• Normalized date: 2026-06-23 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-spokane-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance C36887
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: New computer data center building permit applications citywide
• Detailed status: Active; public hearing set for 2026-07-22
• Outcome: Council passed a one-year moratorium on acceptance, processing, review, and approval of building permit applications for new data centers

Spokane County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-18, Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a four-month pause (stated to have the same legal effect as a moratorium) on data center building permits
• Normalized date: 2026-08-18 (exact)
• Duration: Four months
• Current end date: 2026-12-15
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-spokane-county-2026
• Legal basis: Spokane County Board of Commissioners action, approved 2026-08-18, pausing acceptance/processing of County building permits for data centers in unincorporated Spokane County; first proposed by Commissioners Chris Jordan and Amber Waldref on 2026-07-21
• What prompted it: Public pressure (thousands of constituent contacts) over impacts to utility ratepayers, natural resources, and neighborhoods from data center development
• Affected projects: Not identified
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Four-month pause (same legal effect as a moratorium) on acceptance/processing of County data center building permits in unincorporated Spokane County, set to expire 2026-12-15 (extendable if more time is needed); the Planning Commission is leading a Zoning Text Amendment process with multiple public hearings before a final Board decision.
• Outcome: Spokane County Commissioners unanimously approved a four-month pause on data center permitting, effective 2026-08-18 through 2026-12-15.

Town of Waterville

• Type: Town
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: 2018 (Ordinance 792) [VERIFY: exact passage date not confirmed; Waterville Municipal Code is hosted on eCode360 (WA4837) which is JS-rendered and did not yield the ordinance table on automated fetch as of 2026-04-29]
• Normalized date: 2018 (unverified)
• Duration: Not verified from primary text [VERIFY: Ordinance 792 PDF not located on Waterville town website as of 2026-04-29]
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: wa-waterville-2018
• Legal basis: Ordinance 792 (2018), interim official control on cryptocurrency mining per MRSC's May 2018 report (exact adoption date and full text still not located this pass); superseded by Ordinance 815 (2020, codified at WMC 17.10.165 and 17.10.175), which added permanent cryptocurrency-mining and data-center definitions and zoning treatment; RCW 35A.63.220 and RCW 36.70A.390.
• What prompted it: Douglas County-area cryptocurrency mining applications and utility capacity concerns; MRSC May 2018 report identified Waterville as having imposed a moratorium on accepting applications for mining operations (alongside East Wenatchee)
• Affected projects: Not identified
• Detailed status: Replaced. Waterville's zoning code now defines and regulates 'cryptocurrency mining' (WMC 17.10.165) and 'data center' (WMC 17.10.175), added via Ordinance 815 (2020), and the Chapter 17.40 District Use Chart lists cryptocurrency mining as a regulated ('PRM3') use rather than a prohibited one, confirmed via a current mirror of the town's zoning code as of 2026-09-23.
• Outcome: Town code presumably includes cryptocurrency mining provisions but the eCode360 ordinance table could not be retrieved automatically; primary ordinance text remains uncaptured

Yakima County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-11, Board of County Commissioners unanimously adopted Resolution No. 210-2026
• Normalized date: 2026-08-11 (exact)
• Duration: Six months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: wa-yakima-county-2026
• Legal basis: Yakima County Resolution No. 210-2026, adopted 2026-08-11, declaring a zoning moratorium on placement of data centers within unincorporated Yakima County
• What prompted it: County code lacks data-center-specific regulations; public opposition raised at a prior work session over water, power-rate, and environmental impacts; no data centers currently in the county and no direct access to the Columbia River or lower-cost power
• Affected projects: None; no applications received as of adoption
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Six-month moratorium (Resolution 210-2026) preventing acceptance of land use or building permits for data centers in unincorporated Yakima County, adopted 2026-08-11; a public hearing is required within 60 days. No applications for data centers had been received as of adoption.
• Outcome: Yakima County Commissioners unanimously adopted Resolution No. 210-2026 on 2026-08-11, imposing a six-month zoning moratorium on data centers in unincorporated Yakima County.

Source: moratorium_inventory.csv · Methodology · Codebook.

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