Oregon Data Center Task Force Backs Reform, Sidesteps Moratoriums

An Oregon data center task force has backed reform measures but did not recommend moratoriums or tax breaks, according to reporting on September 12, 2026.

The task force stated its work was a policy project, not a political exercise. This development follows a period of increasing demand for digital processing power, fueled by artificial intelligence systems. Developers are exploring new locations for data centers, including Native nations and tribal communities. In Indianapolis, work at a future east side data center site was briefly halted.

Meta's $1.2 billion Kuna data center is now operational. Data center opponents have added claims of open meetings and records violations to a lawsuit. In Ypsilanti Township, Michigan, citizens expressed strong opposition to a proposed hyperscale data center partnership between the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratories. A data center developer terminated its purchase agreement for a Minnesota printing plant after community opposition.

In Georgia, the build-out of data centers is creating new stress tests for construction firms. In South Carolina, the recruitment of the NorthMark data center was conducted with covert documents and without council members' full knowledge. Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry reported striking a commercial data center in Kiev, identified as the 4,500-square-meter Be Mobile facility, along with other infrastructure targets in Ukraine.