Oregon Pauses Data Center Permits Through July 2027
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek ordered state regulators to pause air- and water-discharge permits for new or expanded data centers through July 1, 2027. The freeze could delay Amazon's proposed hyperscale facility near Boardman, where residents have submitted hundreds of comments and gathered 700 petition signatures seeking a public hearing.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek directed the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to stop processing and issuing air- and water-quality permits for new or expanded data centers until July 1, 2027. The order affects pending applications and could stall Amazon's proposed hyperscale facility near Boardman, which still needs an air-pollution permit.
The pause comes amid growing concern about data centers' electricity and water demands, tax incentives and local environmental impacts. Boardman-area residents have submitted dozens of comments and collected about 700 signatures seeking an in-person hearing on Amazon's permit. Amazon executive Shannon Kellogg said the action could jeopardize construction and operating jobs, investment and local tax revenue, while Kotek said the pause will allow an advisory committee's recommendations to inform potential reforms before the 2027 legislative session.