Spokane council advances data-centers moratorium to June 22 after heated debate

Spokane City Council voted on June 15 to place an amended ordinance addressing large data centers on the council’s June 22 agenda, after several hours of debate about the potential water and energy impacts of proposed facilities.

The council debated whether to suspend the rules and take final action that night, but an initial motion to add Ordinance C36887 for immediate final action failed. Councilmembers then discussed alternatives including a one-year moratorium, zoning restrictions, and technical filters tied to water or megawatt thresholds. Councilmember Dixon warned of substantial water use by some data centers, citing research that “mid-sized facilities can use up to 300,000 gallons of water a day while large facilities can consume as much as five million gallons daily,” and said Spokane River flows are already low in mid‑June.

Supporters of placing the item on the June 22 agenda said the community had delivered “hundreds and hundreds” of emails and phone calls expressing concern and argued the city needs time to craft enforceable standards and to coordinate with regional and state partners. Opponents and some members urged caution, saying the council did not yet have key data about local impacts, the precise definition of a “data center,” or how energy investments would affect ratepayers and existing projects the city has championed.

During the meeting Councilmember Dixit proposed an amendment to the ordinance language circulated by city legal counsel — including changing a numerical threshold (transcript shows a move from “20” to “25” in the draft circulated) and removing the word “generally” — and the council debated whether last‑minute amendments had given adequate public notice.

After procedural votes, the council approved adding the ordinance, as amended, to the June 22 agenda by a 5–2 vote. The council also discussed pairing the moratorium with a resolution that would set a work plan for analysis and coordination with utilities and regional partners.

What happens next: The ordinance will return to the council on June 22 with the amendments and related implementation questions to be addressed, including specific thresholds, zoning filters, and whether the moratorium should be time‑limited or paired with a resolution directing staff work.