Katie Wilson

Katie Wilson took office as Mayor of Seattle in January 2026, having won the November 2025 election. On 1 May 2026 she confirmed that initial executive steps were being identified in response to the Seattle City Council's emergency 365-day moratorium on new data centres above 10 MW, introduced the previous day by council members Juarez, Lin, and Hollingsworth. Wilson did not endorse or oppose the moratorium directly, signalling executive engagement with the city's data-centre capacity problem rather than a pre-emptive veto. The moratorium followed four developers requesting 369 MW from Seattle City Light to power five facilities; at least two withdrew before the ordinance passed.

Wilson is a progressive Democrat and was previously executive director of the Transit Riders Union, a Seattle transit advocacy organisation. Her background in utility and infrastructure advocacy gives her direct familiarity with the public-utility governance questions the moratorium raises: Seattle City Light's municipal ownership structure creates a lever for load management that most cities with investor-owned utilities lack.

The Pacific Northwest's mild climate and hydropower supply have made Seattle a significant data-centre hub. Wilson's administration must balance the city's position as a major tech employer against residents' concerns about infrastructure load, water, and energy adequacy. Her measured early response is being watched by mayors across major US tech cities as a model for how local executives engage with utility boards and councils on data-centre load management.