Washington County bars itself from land deals, NDAs for big data centers
Washington County commissioners voted 3-1 to restrict the county from selling or leasing property, signing most nondisclosure agreements, or voluntarily granting easements for large-scale standalone data centers. The county did not adopt a data center moratorium, although commissioners discussed possible future code changes and supported moratoriums where development appears likely.
Washington County commissioners in Oregon voted 3-1 to declare that the board does not currently support large-scale standalone data centers in unincorporated areas and to impose three limits on county involvement. County-owned property cannot be sold, conveyed or leased for a known large-scale standalone data center; the county generally cannot sign related nondisclosure agreements; and departments cannot voluntarily grant easements or rights-of-way for such facilities. Commissioners Nafisa Fai, Pam Treece and Jason Snider supported the resolution, while Vice Chair Jerry Willey opposed it.
The board declined to enact a moratorium, citing the lack of known projects or applications and the limited availability of suitable sites. Residents including Emily Waldron and Jacob Roloff urged stronger action, including a ban or a power-use-based definition of large-scale facilities. Elsewhere in the county, Forest Grove temporarily stopped accepting new data center applications, Hillsboro adopted limits on where data centers can operate and how much land they can occupy, and Gov. Tina Kotek directed the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to pause certain air and water pollution permits for new or expanded data centers until July 2027.