Federal Way WA Data Center Moratorium (2026)
Federal Way, WA — City Council Passes Emergency 12-Month Moratorium on Data Centers (July 7, 2026)
Federal Way, WA · City of Federal Way, Wash., emergency 12-month data center moratorium (adopted July 7, 2026; expires approx. July 7, 2027)
- Status
- In effect
- Expires
- July 7, 2027
- Applies to
- Federal Way and any applicant seeking approval for a new data center meeting the size/capacity threshold.
- Enforced by
- City of Federal Way (planning/zoning)
The Federal Way City Council unanimously passed an emergency 12-month moratorium on data centers on July 7, 2026. The moratorium applies to data centers with planned capacity exceeding 1 megawatt or 4,000 square feet of gross floor area and prevents the city from accepting, processing, or approving any related applications. The motion was introduced by Council President Susan Honda referencing possible development at the former Weyerhaeuser/IRG campus. A public hearing on the moratorium was scheduled for September 1, 2026.
Who is protected: Federal Way residents, through a 12-month pause on new data center development while the city updates its municipal code.
Legal detail
Federal Way City Council emergency moratorium (unanimously adopted July 7, 2026) prohibiting acceptance, processing, and approval of applications related to data centers with planned capacity >1 MW or >4,000 sq ft gross floor area. Term: 12 months (~expires July 7, 2027). Public hearing scheduled Sept. 1, 2026. Motion introduced by Council President Susan Honda; context: potential data center development at former Weyerhaeuser campus owned by Industrial Realty Group.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Federal Way, WA |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | July 7, 2026 |
| Citation | City of Federal Way, Wash., emergency 12-month data center moratorium (adopted July 7, 2026; expires approx. July 7, 2027) |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · government use of AI |
| News report | Federal Way passes 1-year moratorium on data centers — Kent Reporter |
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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