Eugene rejects data center proposal at former Hynix site
The City of Eugene rejected a data center proposal at the former Hynix site in west Eugene, citing current E-1 zoning restrictions. This decision has sparked renewed debate over data centers, with organizers planning to propose a moratorium on new large facilities at an upcoming City Council meeting. Residents expressed strong opposition to the proposed development.
The City of Eugene rejected a proposal to develop a data center at the former Hynix site in West Eugene, stating that the facility does not comply with the area's current E-1 zoning regulations. The decision can be appealed to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals for review.
This rejection has intensified the ongoing debate surrounding data centers in Oregon. Data centers are described as buildings filled with servers and network equipment that process and store information for various digital services, including artificial intelligence. While some are small, private operations, the proposed facility in Eugene was a hyperscale data center, similar to those operated by major tech companies like Google, Amazon, or Microsoft. Oregon currently hosts approximately 130 data center facilities, with three already located in Eugene.
In response to the proposal and the broader discussion, the Party for Socialism and Liberation plans to introduce a motion for a moratorium on new large data centers at the Eugene City Council meeting on September 14th. Reporter Kate Stuszen covered the story, highlighting a resident's desire for leaders to acknowledge their strong opposition to any data center development in the area.