Verrus says Kotek’s pause on DEQ permits won’t affect current stage of Salem data center project
News ClipSalem Reporter·Salem, Marion County, OR·10/14/2026
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek directed the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to pause air and water discharge permits for data centers until July 2027, creating a de facto moratorium on new development. Verrus said the pause will not affect the current stage of its planned AI data center campus at the Mill Creek Corporate Center in Salem.
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Gov: Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Office of the Governor of Oregon
In an Oct. 9 letter to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek ordered the agency to pause all air and water discharge permits for data centers until July 2027, essentially serving as a moratorium on data center development. Verrus, the company building a data center in Salem, said the directive won’t affect its plans for an AI data center campus in the Mill Creek Corporate Center. To comment on this story, use the form at the end of the report.