Oregon Governor Kotek Implements Moratorium on State Land Data Center Development
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has announced a roughly one-year pause on approvals for new data center developments on state-owned land or in state buildings. This order will immediately halt unapproved requests for easements, rights-of-way, leases, rentals, land-use permits, and sales or transfers of state property for data center projects. The decision follows a rally at the Oregon State Capitol where approximately 100 individuals, representing environmental, public health, farm, and social advocacy groups, called for a three-year moratorium on such developments. Governor Kotek expressed support for a moratorium to ensure that any future data center development aligns with the state's terms, emphasizing the need to prevent increased utility rates, protect clean energy resources, and safeguard clean water and air. This action builds on a previous intervention in March where Kotek stopped a data center proposed on state-owned Department of Corrections land in Salem.
