The employees appeared before Seattle City Council committees as city officials considered a one-year pause on new AI data center projects. Echoing pushback across the US, their point was that tech companies are pouring extraordinary sums into AI computing capacity while communities and workers absorb the consequences.

The engineers pointed to Amazon’s plan to spend roughly $200 billion on capital projects this year, with much of that investment tied to AI infrastructure and data centers. At the same time, Amazon has eliminated more than 30,000 corporate positions since October as CEO Andy Jassy continues to reduce management layers and streamline operations.

The workers argued that local governments should have a greater role in determining how AI infrastructure is developed, particularly as data centers consume increasing amounts of electricity and water.

Amazon Employees for Climate Justice

The engineers are members of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, a group that has repeatedly challenged the company’s environmental and AI-related policies. During the hearings, they called for stronger oversight of data center projects, including greater transparency around ownership structures, reporting requirements for energy and water consumption, and stronger commitments to renewable power.

Among the ideas raised by the engineers was a requirement that data center developers provide more renewable energy resources than their facilities consume. They also called for greater transparency around the companies behind proposed projects and their long-term impact on local infrastructure.

Seattle is now considering how to manage growing interest from developers seeking to build AI-focused facilities in the region. City officials recently advanced a proposal that would temporarily halt permits for new data centers while regulators develop a framework governing future projects. The measure was approved unanimously by the City Council’s Land Use and Sustainability Committee.

The debate emerged after four data center developers approached Seattle’s utility provider with proposals involving five major data center facilities. Public opposition has already altered those plans, with two developers reportedly withdrawing their proposals.

Seattle is far from alone in confronting these questions. Across the US, state and local governments are examining the impact of data center growth, and in some cases working to create guidelines. The push for regulation comes as tech companies engage in what is likely the largest infrastructure spending cycle in industry history.

Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta are collectively committing hundreds of billions of dollars to AI-related capital investments. Microsoft alone is expected to spend approximately $190 billion this year as demand for AI services continues to accelerate.

For critics, the issue extends beyond environmental concerns. Some employees view the simultaneous expansion of AI data centers and reduction of corporate workforces as evidence of an unfortunate shift in priorities inside major tech companies.

Amazon responded by stating that employees are free to express their views and emphasized that the company currently has no plans to build data centers within Seattle city limits. The company also pointed to its ongoing efforts to improve energy efficiency, increase the use of carbon-free power sources, and achieve its goal of becoming water positive by 2030.