Citizen group collects signatures to put Oregon data center ban on November ballot
A citizen group in Oregon, Ohio, called United Neighbors of Oregon, is actively collecting signatures to place a charter amendment on the November ballot. The proposed amendment aims to ban data centers over 25 megawatts in the city due to concerns about power costs and noise. Mayor Steven Salander welcomes the initiative to allow voters to decide.
The citizen group United Neighbors of Oregon is campaigning to get a charter amendment on the November ballot in Oregon, Ohio, which would ban data centers exceeding 25 megawatts. The group is actively collecting 1,700 signatures by Sunday, with strong community support.
Organizers expressed concerns about potential issues like increased power costs and noise from the thousands of fans required for cooling these large facilities. The initiative comes as Vantage data centers has been identified as a developer for a proposed data center in the city.
Oregon Mayor Steven Salander supports the petition, stating it's the best way to understand public sentiment, and emphasized the importance of community involvement in the project's progression. He mentioned that city officials are still gathering information about the proposed data center, including a recent meeting with the end user.