Seattle officials are considering a one-year moratorium on new large data centers — part of a broader debate over the energy demands of the digital economy and AI.

Why it matters: Seattle's growth as a tech hub has been driven in part by companies that rely heavily on data centers. But local leaders aren't sure they want large, power-hungry server farms within city limits.

Catch up quick: The push to temporarily block large-scale data centers comes after four companies recently approached Seattle City Light proposing five new facilities in the city.

• Such data centers would require up to 369 megawatts of electricity per day — about one-third of the city's current average power usage.
• Two of the companies have since withdrawn their proposals, but city officials are still looking at a year-long ban.

State of play: Microsoft, Amazon and other tech giants have spent years building data centers in places like Quincy, Washington, and Umatilla, Oregon, to support cloud computing and, increasingly, AI.

• But Seattle has largely avoided hosting the kinds of sprawling, power-intensive server farms more commonly built in rural communities.
• About 30 small data centers exist in Seattle, according to city estimates, but none approach the scale of the ones recently proposed.

What they're saying: "I don't see us having a permanent ban on all data centers," City Councilmember Eddie Lin, who is sponsoring the proposed moratorium, said during a meeting last week. "But I do think we need to have appropriate rules and regulations."

• Those rules could deal with data centers' water and electricity use, as well as any noise, greenhouse-gas emissions or job impacts they might generate.
• The city would work on developing the rules while the temporary ban was in place.
• "This is not a knee-jerk reaction," City Council President Joy Hollingsworth said during last week's meeting, citing the effects of "mega data centers" on other cities around the country.

The other side: Joe Nguyen, president and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, told Axios he's concerned the city is pursuing data center policies that are "more symbolic than they are functional."

• He argued restricting data centers could be viewed as "another attack on the technology industry" without meaningfully reducing energy demand, since data center projects could simply move elsewhere.
• "It's not like they're going to go away," he said, noting Seattle is increasingly reliant on AI, cloud computing and other online services powered by data centers.

What's next: Lin is expected to formally propose the one-year moratorium in the coming days.

• Meanwhile, Mayor Katie Wilson's administration says Seattle City Light is developing new policies for large-load data centers aimed at preventing infrastructure and energy costs from being passed on to residents.

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Washington's number of craft breweries declined slightly last year — part of a broader national slowdown in the once-booming industry.

Why it matters: The persistent downward trend is startling brewers and forcing many to rethink their business models and expand into non-beer beverages, Axios' John Frank writes.

Zoom in: Washington had 438 craft breweries in 2025, down from 444 a year earlier, according to Brewers Association data released this month.

Yes, but: Those breweries still produced slightly more beer in 2025, with overall production rising about 1%.

The bottom line: Although Washington's craft breweries peaked in number in 2023, the state remains an industry leader.

• The state still has the fourth-highest number of craft breweries and the ninth-highest number per capita.

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The Seattle area isn't among the metros offering the best job opportunities for recent college graduates, according to a new study.

By the numbers: Seattle came in 38th out of the 53 metros analyzed.

• Birmingham, Alabama, and Tampa Bay, Florida, top the list, based on payroll processor ADP's ranking of 20-something hiring rates, wages and affordability.

What they're saying: In Seattle, "high wages don't translate to affordability or robust hiring," ADP's Sam Adieze wrote in the report.

Researchers analyzed 53 U.S. metro areas with populations of at least 1 million.

The top 10 metros are:

• San Jose, California
• Columbus, Ohio
• Raleigh, North Carolina
• Tulsa, Oklahoma
• San Francisco
• Nashville, Tennessee
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• New York

At the bottom of the rankings are:

• Salt Lake City
• Riverside, California
• San Diego
• Portland, Oregon

Between the lines: "Even graduates who do land jobs in these metros face a tough financial tradeoff in the form of high cost of living," Adieze wrote about the bottom four.

The bottom line: Entry-level hiring is rebounding this spring — but in a tough job market, young professionals' prospects may depend on the role, sector and location, the Wall Street Journal reports.

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Earlier this year, Joe Nguyen went from being a leader in Olympia to leading the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.

We recently asked him what his perfect Seattle day would look like.

🌅 Morning: Nguyen's ideal Seattle day starts early — ideally with one of those crisp Seattle fall mornings where "you feel the cold and you feel the sun at the same time."

• He makes breakfast for his three kids while drinking coffee and checking emails.
• On weekends, the family is usually headed outdoors for soccer, baseball or hiking.
• One favorite: Franklin Falls, a relatively easy hike with waterfall views less than an hour from Seattle. If staying in the city, they might go the Washington Park Arboretum.

🍴 Lunch: The family often heads to Dough Zone for dumplings, or to conveyer belt sushi. A good (and economical) spot for the latter is Sushi Omiya in Tukwila, Nguyen said.

🎉 Afternoon: Nguyen said some of his favorite Seattle moments involve showing his kids the city's culture.

• "If there's a festival, if there's something going on in Little Saigon ... I think that would be a perfect way" to spend the afternoon, he said.

🍖 Dinner: Nguyen says his ideal evening usually involves staying home, cooking and having friends over.

• He often smokes brisket, ribs or tri-tip from Costco, or cooks sous vide steaks.
• "My ideal day is just having a slow start, quiet morning ... and then just put something on, have people come over, be pretty chill," Nguyen said.