City attorney: Salem data center moratorium means Verrus can’t build until it expires

Salem city councilors on Monday, Sept. 21, voted to accept a moratorium on all new data center projects for 120 days but have the option to extend it by an extra six months before the end of the year. The moratorium also means that Verrus, the Silicon Valley company with an application submitted with the city for a $5.1 billion data center, is prohibited from moving into the construction phase as long as the moratorium is in effect. That could be as long as 300 days. To comment on this story, use the form at the end of the report.