Oregonians want data center moratorium and no more tax breaks, poll finds
Oregonians strongly oppose new tax breaks for AI data centers and overwhelmingly support a temporary moratorium on new construction, according to a recent poll. In response to this sentiment, Hillsboro has already enacted a 120-day moratorium on data center permits, and Salem is considering similar action.
Based on a new DHM Research poll, a significant majority of Oregonians are against providing new tax breaks to artificial intelligence data centers, with more than a 3:1 margin of opposition. The poll also found that two-thirds of Oregon voters support a temporary moratorium on new data center construction.
This public sentiment comes as data center operators are projected to receive over $450 million in Oregon incentives this year, with further increases expected. In response to growing concerns, the city of Hillsboro recently enacted a 120-day moratorium on new data center permits. The city of Salem is also actively considering implementing its own temporary halt on such developments.