Seattle

Tacoma says new data centers, of any size, are not permitted.

The city took a different tack than Seattle, which passed a one-year ban on new large-scale data centers last month. Instead of passing a bill, Tacoma’s Planning and Development Services Department issued an interpretation of its existing code last week, saying data centers were not listed as an allowable use in the city. It’s not that code explicitly says they’re prohibited. They’re just not mentioned at all. By default, the city says that means they’re not allowed.

In effect, until the Tacoma City Council passes an amendment to its zoning code saying data centers are permissible, and the conditions under which they are, the planning department says they won’t be. The interpretation doesn’t affect existing data centers in the city.