A group of engineers from Amazon have spoken out in support of actions to limit expansion of large-scale AI data centers in Seattle because of their environmental impact and job cuts.
The engineers addressed the Seattle City Council at a hearing held Wednesday to discuss pausing the building of such centers for one year. The purpose of the action is to buy time to establish regulation in this field. One of the speakers was Patrick Schloesser, a software engineer at Amazon Web Services. He drew attention to the enormous amounts of money being spent by the leading companies in this sector while slashing their number of employees.
Thus, as Mr. Schloesser revealed, Amazon will spend around $200 billion on capital expenditure this year, which will be directed to projects involving artificial intelligence and data centers. Meanwhile, Microsoft expects to allocate as much as $190 billion. But Amazon already slashed its number of corporate employees by 30,000 since October.
According to Schloesser, such figures illustrate how fast the major technology firms are competing to develop their computational capacity. It was emphasized that the municipalities should define specific rules in advance.
This issue also seems to concern Seattle authorities, which propose a yearlong moratorium on construction of any additional data centers. This proposal came after several developers contacted the local utility company with plans to develop five big data centers within the city’s territory. Opposition was provoked after these plans were announced, and finally, two developers withdrew their projects.
The Land Use and Sustainability Committee of the City Council unanimously approved the proposed moratorium. In this way, the authorities will get a chance to analyze the impact of the above facilities and determine which rules should regulate them.
The Rising Friction Between AI Infrastructure Expansion and Community Concerns
As for Amazon, the company expressed its attitude toward the right of employees to express their opinions. In addition, Amazon representatives claimed that this firm does not plan to build data centers within Seattle boundaries at present.
The corporation indicated that it strives to conduct itself in such a way as to act as a good citizen in the local community. Amazon also emphasized its attempts to increase energy efficiency, expand the share of renewable energy used, and reduce water use. In addition, the corporation stated that it wants to give back more water to communities than it takes from them with the help of data centers in 2030.
Such disputes occurring in Seattle show that they have their counterparts in other parts of the United States. Local communities are starting to wonder about the fast expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Data centers consume plenty of electric energy, water, land, and transmission capacity. The greater becomes the capability of artificial intelligence systems, the larger becomes the demand for computing power.
Legislators in 14 states are considering legislation that would impose a moratorium on data centers according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In its report, Data Center Watch revealed that projects worth over $156 billion were delayed or cancelled in 2025 due to opposition and lawsuits.
Seattle’s Standoff Over AI Expansion and the Role of Amazon
Even as opposition grows, the largest technology corporations in the country remain committed to increased investment in their data centers. Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta are projected to invest about $700 billion this year alone in capital expenditure, mostly for AI infrastructure.
While such large investments continue, most corporations are finding ways to cut costs. Layoffs are increasingly common in tech firms that need to be efficient by focusing more on the development of AI.
Schloesser recommended that the City of Seattle implement stringent guidelines regarding new projects in the area. These guidelines required developers to utilize only renewable energy sources, provide full disclosure regarding the projects and not use any shell companies to get permits.
Furthermore, he argued that large corporations involved in layoffs pay a special tax that helps finance city employment.
Similar worries were raised by other Amazon workers during the public hearing. Liesl Wigand, who is employed at the company for more than 12 years, has complained about an idea circulating in the tech industry that suggests solving most issues through the use of AI technology.
Balancing AI Infrastructure and Community Impact in Seattle
According to her, many businesses focus on the advantages offered by AI systems, without really considering the necessary costs. She believes that local authorities must pay more attention to developing data centers, as well as their impact on communities.
The workers who gave testimonies during the hearing are part of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, a union that has pressured Amazon to take action regarding climate change for quite some time now. In the late 2025, they addressed Amazon leadership, calling them to implement responsible policies concerning AI technology usage.
What we see in Seattle is just another case demonstrating the conflict between businesses and the general population in times of digitalization. The former views data centers as necessary infrastructure, while the latter questions whether further development can be associated with better regulation of AI usage.
