1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

Big Tech is racing to build data centers across the country, and states should not allow corporations to set the pace while communities are still trying to understand what these projects will mean for their electricity bills, water, health, environment, and local economies. Data centers can require tremendous amounts of electricity and water. Their rapid expansion can put additional pressure on the electric grid, increase competition for resources, bring constant noise and pollution into nearby communities, and leave working families carrying costs that should never be shifted onto them. States have the power to stop the rush before it becomes impossible to reverse. A 3-year pause would give state officials and communities time to fully examine the cumulative impact of hyperscale data centers on utility rates, grid reliability, water supplies, public health, pollution, land use, public subsidies, and local economies. It would also give residents a meaningful opportunity to shape the rules governing an industry that could dramatically change their communities. Big Tech has the money and political influence to push these projects forward quickly. Communities deserve the power to determine what development looks like and whether corporations are being asked to pay their fair share of the costs they create. No state should wait until residents are facing higher bills, strained resources, or unwanted development to start asking questions. Stand up to Big Tech. Pass a 3-year statewide moratorium on all new hyperscale data center development and permitting and put communities first.