First of 3 Salem town halls held to gather community input on data centers
Salem, Oregon, residents gathered at a town hall to voice concerns about data centers' impact on water usage, noise, and electricity consumption. Attendees expressed strong opposition, hoping to slow down or halt future data center projects before city leaders consider a formal proposal later this year. Additional meetings are scheduled to continue gathering community input.
Residents of Salem, Oregon, attended the first of three town halls on Tuesday evening to provide input on the local impact of data centers. Community members voiced significant concerns regarding data center operations, specifically highlighting their extensive water and electricity consumption, noise pollution, and the environmental footprint.
One attendee, Alex Hitchen, expressed a firm stance against any data centers in Salem, stating, "I'm not a fan of finding a compromise. I think it should be a hard line which is just no data centers in Salem." Hitchen emphasized environmental worries, noting, "Our environment is dying, the planet is dying, and I don't feel like there is a reason to be adding more fuel to that fire."
Another resident, Kathleen, noted the widespread appeal of the issue, remarking that it "crosses the political divide unlike anything else that has in the last few years." She added that opponents plan to work diligently to provide information to the city and challenge any claims of community benefit from data centers, aiming to "slow this process down as much as possible and quite frankly I hope it dies on the vine."
The town halls are being held to gather community perspectives before city leaders formally consider a proposal concerning data center management and development later this year, with the city council expected to review it in December. Further meetings are scheduled for October 6 and October 20.