Amazon, data centers and the race for Oregon governor
Amazon’s expanding data center presence in Eastern Oregon has become a major issue in the state’s governor’s race, with both leading candidates supporting a moratorium on new facilities. Residents and rural groups cite concerns about electricity use, water, farmland and limited public input, while Amazon and local officials argue the projects bring jobs, taxes and economic growth.
Amazon has built a substantial data center footprint in Morrow and Umatilla counties, including four facilities in Morrow County and local approval for 10 more. The company has contributed to local governments, employs more than 2,500 people in Eastern Oregon and recently pledged $1 billion nationally for communities affected by its data center operations, while also ending its practice of asking public officials to sign nondisclosure agreements.
Public sentiment has shifted against further development. Oregon gubernatorial candidates Tina Kotek and Christine Drazan support a moratorium on new data centers, and the nonprofit Oregon Rural Action is backing a petition for an immediate ban in Eastern Oregon. Residents including Morrow County port commissioner Kelly Doherty and farmer Barrett Dash cite threats to farmland, water supplies and community transparency, while Amazon executive Roger Wehner and Umatilla County Commissioner Dan Dorran defend the industry’s economic benefits and oppose broad bans. A statewide electricity report found data centers account for nearly a quarter of Oregon’s retail electricity sales, adding to concerns about future power demand.