(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Oregon Fights Invasion by AI Mega Data Centers [1] ['Angela Marx', 'Chloris Creator', 'Dan K'] Date: 2026-09-06 On September 8, Tuesday, two things are happening in Oregon’s capitol: Democratic Governor Tina Kotek’s handpicked, corporate- heavy advisory board will be meeting to propose how they want to regulate AI data centers; and Oregonians are rallying to demand that their elected officials support the three-year moratorium on AI Data Centers put forth by Democratic Senator Jeff Golden (Ashland), Rep. Courtney Neron Misslin (Wilsonville). Rep. Lesley Munoz (Woodburn), Rep. Farrah Chaichi (Beaverton) and Oregon House candidate Tammy Carpenter (Democratic Socialist, HD 27). The advisory council held a short period of public hearings in Salem; however, in a state as large as Oregon, it was available to few, particularly those living east of the Cascade mountains where hyperscale AI Data Centers are exploding. More to the point, an “advisory council” is not a legislature of elected officials who are representatives of Oregonians who can hold them accountable. The governor has not held any town halls on this matter. Democratic Governor Tina Kotek has expressed her support for local moratoriums but not statewide moratoriums which leaves Oregon’s cities and counties alone to deal with the rich tech oligarchs and their attorneys. 1000 Friends of Oregon, the watchdog organization created in 1974 to safeguard these laws is now suing the city of Hillsboro to block 17 AI Data Centers. I plan to be in Salem for the rally, wearing my old Occupy scarf. I hope to speak with my Senator and my Representative to urge them to cosponsor this bill. I am bringing former Governor Tom McCall (1913-1983) who left us the legacy of sane land use planning which preserved Oregon’s quality of life and was a model for the nation. As a journalist, he cowrote and anchored the documentary Pollution in Paradise which featured a sewage and industrial waste choked Willamette River. Over his two terms as Oregon’s Governor (1967 to 1975), he cleaned up the river that we enjoy today. McCall fought to the very last ounce of life he had, coming from his death bed in 1983 to successfully defeat the last serious attack of his legacy land use laws. I feel that he needs to be in Salem to stand with other Oregonians. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Rally information and a petition for Oregonians to express their support for a statewide three-year moratorium of AI Data Centers. Oregon Data Center Moratorium Rally + Lobby Day – Columbia Riverkeeper: The rapid buildout of data centers without proper regulations is having a huge impact on our communities, energy prices, and natural resources. Enough is enough: we demand a moratorium on data centers now! Can you join us in Salem for a lobby day in support of a statewide three-year moratorium on data centers? What: Oregon Data Center Moratorium Rally + Lobby Day When: September 8, 2026 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 8:30 – 9 a.m: Gathering for people who have RSVP’d for the lobby day by Wednesday, September 2 at First Congregational United Church of Christ 700 Marion St NE, Salem, OR 97301 9 a.m.-12 p.m.: Legislative meetings at the capitol 12:30-1:30 p.m.: Rally on the North Side Capitol steps – open to all! 2-5 p.m. Committee hearings at the capitol Where: Oregon State Capitol, 900 Court St. NE Salem OR 97301 What to Wear: Wear Red! What to Bring: Signs for the rally and a water bottle. Lunch won’t be provided, so we recommend packing a lunch or grabbing something from the Capitol cafeteria or a local business. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Oregon Statewide Data Center Moratorium Petition To: Governor Tina Kotek, Secretary of State Tobias Read, all Oregon State House and Senate legislators, and all city and county leaders, and all candidates seeking office in the state of Oregon From: Your Name We, the undersigned, demand a moratorium on data center development in the state of Oregon. Data centers are moving into our communities with no concern for the irrevocable harm they have on local economies, people, and places. These data centers rely on public resources, but they cause harm to the very public they rely on. We are seeing residential electricity rates rise by nearly 50% while data centers pay less than half the rate per kilowatt-hour that households do, forcing families to subsidize corporate infrastructure like the $200 million Hillsboro substation. Furthermore, the environmental toll is staggering, with large-scale facilities consuming as much as 4.5 million gallons of fresh water per day and creating heat islands that warm land by up to 16 degrees. The push for more data centers comes in the time of a global water bankruptcy. They contribute to the creation of PFAS—forever chemicals—that accumulate and make their way to families’ food and water supplies. These chemicals create toxic effects throughout the body and even interrupt crucial biological processes. Our schools are paying the price, too. In 2024 alone, the Hillsboro School District lost $128 million due to data center tax abatements. These facilities generate among the lowest number of permanent jobs per acre of any industry, yet they are being gifted enormous tax breaks. This is not economic development—it’s a giveaway. Rising costs, availability of care and an uncertain future will impact the viability of Oregon for families, and ultimately its economy. These problems aren’t unique to Oregon, but it is because of Oregon’s uniqueness that we must protect our state. You have the chance to lead the fight to prioritize communities over corporations. Call a moratorium on data centers across the state of Oregon, from the coast to the high desert, Astoria to Burns. The health of our communities, our schools, and our environment depends on your decisive action now. 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