Oregon governor orders pause on environmental permits to build or expand data centers
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek ordered the Department of Environmental Quality to pause approvals of air and water pollution permits for new data centers and expansions until July 1, 2027. The pause could affect Amazon’s proposed hyperscale facility in Boardman, where residents and Oregon Rural Action have sought a public hearing on the project’s air permit.
Gov. Tina Kotek directed Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Director Leah Feldon to stop approving new state and federal air and water pollution permits for data center projects until July 1, 2027. Kotek said the temporary pause will allow her to review recommendations from the state’s Data Advisory Committee and consider policy or regulatory changes before the 2027 legislative session.
The order may affect Amazon’s proposed hyperscale facility in Boardman, where an air pollution permit remains under review. Oregon Rural Action said local residents have submitted dozens of comments requesting an in-person hearing, and about 700 people have signed a petition supporting one. Amazon spokesperson Adrienne Talbot criticized the pause, saying it could eliminate construction and operational jobs and halt billions of dollars in planned investment. The action follows an earlier pause on data center approvals involving state land and buildings.