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One of Oregon's smallest utilities is suddenly among the state's
biggest polluters. Why? Amazon data centers

  * Updated: Feb. 17, 2024, 12:31 p.m.|
  * Published: Feb. 17, 2024, 6:02 a.m.

An aerial view of a large warehouse-style building in a field

Amazon has 10 data centers in Morrow and Umatilla counties and is
planning 10 more. They're mostly powered by fossil fuels and
transmission constrains mean it could take years to shift the data
centers to renewable energy. Dave Killen / The Oregonian

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By

  * Mike Rogoway | The Oregonian/OregonLive

The rolling hills along the Columbia River in northeastern Oregon
boast golden fields and farms, quiet valleys and rippling creeks --
and very few people.

Yet the region also bears an enormous, and growing, carbon footprint.

More data centers

  * Amazon will start buying clean power for Oregon data centers
  * North Plains' plan to double in size thrusts tiny community into
    Oregon's eternal land debate
  * Oregon officials face ethics sanctions over Amazon data centers'
    tax breaks and land deals

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