Hundreds pack La Pine City Hall to oppose proposed data center

Hundreds of residents gathered at La Pine City Hall on Wednesday night to voice strong opposition to a proposed 20-megawatt data center in southern Deschutes County, Oregon. Speakers expressed significant concerns regarding potential increases in power bills, the facility's extensive water usage, especially given a recent lack of winter precipitation, and a perceived lack of transparency from city officials regarding the project's progress. La Pine Mayor Jeannine Earls addressed the public, pushing back against claims that the council had not previously sought public input, noting that some residents had spoken in favor of the project at an earlier meeting. Despite these assurances, many attendees felt the community was caught off guard by the extent of discussions already underway and insisted that a project of this scale warranted a direct vote from the community. Residents also questioned the city's preparedness for potential legal and financial challenges should the project proceed, given the deep pockets of data center companies. City officials clarified that while initial steps have been taken towards a potential land sale, no final decisions have been made, and the developer would still be subject to a city land use review and a county building review. Deschutes County would also need to approve any final land sale, as it owns the land in question.