Oregon Governor Orders Temporary Pause on New Data Center Air and Water Permits

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek directed Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Director Leah Feldon to halt approvals of state and federal air and water pollution permits for new data centers and expansions until next July. Kotek said the temporary pause would allow her to review recommendations from the state’s Data Advisory Committee and consider policy or regulatory changes for the 2027 legislative session.

The action follows an earlier pause on approvals for data centers on state land or in state buildings and comes as Oregon officials consider broader regulation of the industry. Oregon Rural Action, which has advocated for a three-year statewide moratorium, said the order could affect Amazon’s proposed hyperscale facility in Boardman. Residents have submitted dozens of comments and 700 people have signed a petition seeking an in-person hearing on the project’s air-quality permit.

Shannon Kellogg, vice president of Amazon Web Services, criticized the pause as abrupt, saying it could eliminate construction and operational jobs and halt billions of dollars in planned investment. Kotek has said she previously lacked authority to impose a permanent statewide moratorium without legislative action.