Petition seeks pause on eastern Oregon data centers
Oregon Rural Action has launched a petition advocating for an immediate moratorium on data center expansion in eastern Oregon, citing concerns over water usage, electricity demands, and environmental pollution. The petition specifically highlights Amazon's proposed exascale data center near Boardman, which is projected to be the state's largest and consume significant resources. Residents have expressed worries about groundwater contamination and hazardous air pollutants from data center operations.
Oregon Rural Action has initiated a petition to halt further data center development in eastern Oregon, citing adverse impacts on rural communities. The organization emphasizes that existing projects are already straining water and power resources, particularly in Morrow and Umatilla counties, home to the state's largest data center hub.
Kristin Ostrom, Executive Director of Oregon Rural Action, stated the petition was prompted by Amazon's plans for a large "exascale" data center near Boardman, which they anticipate will be Oregon's largest such facility. She criticized the rapid growth as "out of control" and built on "secrecy, extraction and exploitation," demanding an immediate pause to protect farmland and water.
According to the group, Amazon's proposed project could require a gigawatt of electricity and up to 1,300 gallons of water per minute during peak summer. They also noted that three existing data centers at the Port of Morrow consumed over 40 million gallons of water in 2025. Concerns also include groundwater pollution from wastewater spread on farmland and nearly 30,000 pounds of hazardous air pollutants annually from backup diesel generators in Morrow and Umatilla counties.
Jim Doherty, an Eastern Oregon land and water Advocate, described the region as "ground zero" for the data center boom, lamenting the depletion of water and pollution of air. He invoked Governor Tom McCall's warning against plundering resources. The group also warned of potential blackouts and higher energy costs due to a projected 6-9 gigawatt energy shortage in the Pacific Northwest by 2030, exacerbated by data center energy demands.