Oregon Governor Pauses State Land for Data Center Projects Amid Protests
Two activists were detained at the Oregon State Capitol while protesting a lithium mine and advocating for a data center moratorium. Following the protest, Governor Tina Kotek directed state agencies to immediately pause requests for state land for data center projects and publicly supported a broader moratorium.
Activists were briefly detained at the Oregon State Capitol after protesting a controversial lithium mining proposal in southeast Oregon and northern Nevada, advocating for Governor Tina Kotek to halt the project. Groups like Portland Rising Tide and Siskiyou Rising Tide raised concerns about the environmental impact of mining, specifically highlighting potential harm to tribal communities, water, and land from projects like the one by HiTech Minerals Inc., a subsidiary of Jindalee Resources, which received approvals for exploration and drilling.
The protest also extended to the rapid expansion of "hyper-scale data centers" in Oregon. Community organizer Allie Rosenbluth from Jackson County called on Governor Kotek to implement an immediate data center moratorium. In response, Governor Kotek took significant action on September 8, directing state agencies to immediately pause requests for state land for data center projects. She also joined over 100 protesters outside the Capitol and voiced support for a comprehensive moratorium, emphasizing that data center development should proceed "on our terms."