Washington Moratoria
Every infrastructure moratorium we have identified in Washington as of April 2026.
11 instruments — 0 in force, 1 pending, 10 past. Activity level: Medium.
| Jurisdiction | Type | Date enacted | Duration | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Chelan | City (non-charter code city) | 2018-04-24 | 12 months from passage; automatically expired April 2019 unless extended (Ordina | ⚪ Expired |
| City of Cheney | City (non-charter code city) | 2018-04-21 (passed by City Council; effective immediately as a public-emergency | Six months, 2018-04-24 to 2018-10-24 (Ordinance X-27, Section on Term) | ⚪ Expired |
| City of East Wenatchee | City (non-charter code city) | 2018-03-27 (Ordinance 2018-06); extension adopted in late 2018 with public heari | Initial six-month interim control (Ord. 2018-06: 2018-03-27 to 2018-09-27, per r | ⚪ Replaced |
| City of Entiat | City (non-charter code city) | 2018 (Ordinance 779); extension adopted via Ordinance 794 and a further extensio | Initial interim control (Ord. 779) followed by extension (Ord. 794) and a furthe | ⚪ Expired |
| City of Ephrata | City (non-charter code city) | 2018-10-17 (Spokesman-Review reported the "City Council voted Wednesday" of 2018 | 12 months (per Spokesman-Review: "yearlong ban on new cryptocurrency mining") | ⚪ Replaced |
| City of Leavenworth | City | 2018-03-27 | 12 months | 🔴 Rescinded |
| City of Moses Lake | City (non-charter code city) | 2018-05 (Columbia Basin Herald reported on 2018-05-28 that Moses Lake "City Coun | Up to 12 months (per Columbia Basin Herald: "for up to 12 months and will give t | ⚪ Replaced |
| City of Seattle | City (first-class charter city) | Not enacted as of 2026-04-29 | Proposed/exploratory only | 🟡 Pending |
| City of Wenatchee | City (non-charter code city) | 2018-02-22; extended 2019-02-14 | Initial six-month interim official control under RCW 35A.63.220 and RCW 36.70A.3 | 🔴 Rescinded |
| Douglas County | County (Growth Management Act planning county) | 2018-04 (per MRSC May 2018 report: "this April, the county issued a moratorium o | Not verified from primary ordinance text; MRSC characterizes the action as a mor | ⚪ Replaced |
| Town of Waterville | Town (non-charter code town) | 2018 (Ordinance 792) | Not verified from primary text | ⚪ Replaced |
Detailed entries
City of Chelan
- Type: City (non-charter code city)
- Status: ⚪ Expired
- Date enacted: 2018-04-24
- Duration: 12 months from passage; automatically expired April 2019 unless extended (Ordina
- 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 (non-charter code city)
- Status: ⚪ Expired
- Date enacted: 2018-04-21 (passed by City Council; effective immediately as a public-emergency
- Duration: Six months, 2018-04-24 to 2018-10-24 (Ordinance X-27, Section on Term)
- 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 (non-charter code city)
- Status: ⚪ Replaced
- Date enacted: 2018-03-27 (Ordinance 2018-06); extension adopted in late 2018 with public heari
- Duration: Initial six-month interim control (Ord. 2018-06: 2018-03-27 to 2018-09-27, per r
- 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 (non-charter code city)
- Status: ⚪ Expired
- Date enacted: 2018 (Ordinance 779); extension adopted via Ordinance 794 and a further extensio
- Duration: Initial interim control (Ord. 779) followed by extension (Ord. 794) and a furthe
- 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 (non-charter code city)
- Status: ⚪ Replaced
- Date enacted: 2018-10-17 (Spokesman-Review reported the "City Council voted Wednesday" of 2018
- Duration: 12 months (per Spokesman-Review: "yearlong ban on new cryptocurrency mining")
- Moratorium ID:
wa-ephrata-2018 - Legal basis: Moratorium adopted by resolution-style council action; the captured Ephrata Ordinance 18-14 is unrelated annexation material and should not be cited
- 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 a
- 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: Expired / replaced
- Outcome: City code is reported to include cryptocurrency provisions within zoning, but the captured Ephrata Municipal Code does not yet include a verified cryptocurrency mining chapter
City of Leavenworth
- Type: City
- Status: 🔴 Rescinded
- Date enacted: 2018-03-27
- Duration: 12 months
- 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 (non-charter code city)
- Status: ⚪ Replaced
- Date enacted: 2018-05 (Columbia Basin Herald reported on 2018-05-28 that Moses Lake "City Coun
- Duration: Up to 12 months (per Columbia Basin Herald: "for up to 12 months and will give t
- 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 (first-class charter city)
- Status: 🟡 Pending
- Date enacted: Not enacted as of 2026-04-29
- Duration: Proposed/exploratory only
- Moratorium ID:
wa-seattle-2026 - Legal basis: No ordinance captured; Mayor Katie Wilson's 2026-04-18 statement says the city is "exploring a moratorium on siting new centers"; any future ordinance would rely on RCW 36.70A.390 (Seattle plans under the Growth Management Act)
- 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: Proposed / under consideration; KIRO Newsradio reported one of four developer companies has dropped out, leaving Prologis, Equinix, and Sabey eyeing southern Seattle sites; companies have not yet formally applied for service
- Outcome: No moratorium enacted as of 2026-04-29; Seattle City Light is rewriting contract terms for large-load customers, planning to require data center operators to secure their own power generation and pay for infrastructure upgrades rather than passing costs to ratepayers (GeekWire, 2026-04-19)
City of Wenatchee
- Type: City (non-charter code city)
- Status: 🔴 Rescinded
- Date enacted: 2018-02-22; extended 2019-02-14
- Duration: Initial six-month interim official control under RCW 35A.63.220 and RCW 36.70A.3
- 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
Douglas County
- Type: County (Growth Management Act planning county)
- Status: ⚪ Replaced
- Date enacted: 2018-04 (per MRSC May 2018 report: "this April, the county issued a moratorium o
- Duration: Not verified from primary ordinance text; MRSC characterizes the action as a mor
- 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: Unincorporated-area cryptocurrency mining in cargo containers and related safety, noise, and land-use concerns; Douglas County PUD reported a 3-month moratorium on its own electric service applications followed by tiered rates
- 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
Town of Waterville
- Type: Town (non-charter code town)
- Status: ⚪ Replaced
- Date enacted: 2018 (Ordinance 792)
- Duration: Not verified from primary text
- Moratorium ID:
wa-waterville-2018 - Legal basis: Ordinance 792, interim official control on cryptocurrency mining; RCW 35A.63.220 and RCW 36.70A.390 (town is non-charter code town)
- 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: Expired / replaced
- Outcome: Town code presumably includes cryptocurrency mining provisions but the eCode360 ordinance table could not be retrieved automatically; primary ordinance text remains uncaptured
Source: moratorium_inventory.csv · Methodology · Codebook.