September 8th Oregonians Rally to Demand a Pause to Data Center Expansion, New Regulatory Framework
Join with Oregon Data Center Defiance and dozens of concerned Oregonians on Tuesday, September 8th for a special day of protest, speeches and engagement with YOUR state representatives at our RALLY & LOBBY DAY at the capital in Salem.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
OREGON DATA CENTER MORATORIUM RALLY & LOBBY DAY
(Tuesday, September 8th 9am-5pm) Register Here.
The day will consist of a rally and speeches on the capital steps, meetings with legislators, and the Senate and House Energy & Environment committee informational hearings. Use the Lobby Meeting form to sign up in advance so we can schedule meetings with your legislators if possible! We will send out a full agenda and more information to all attendees closer to the day.
RSVP by 9/2 to guarantee a spot on a lobby team meeting with legislators.
VIRTUAL LOBBY DAY TRAINING
(Tuesday, September 1st - 6:30 to 8:00pm) Register Here.
Join with Oregon Data Center Defiance and dozens of concerned Oregonians on Tuesday, September 8th for a special day of protest, speeches and engagement with YOUR state representatives at our RALLY & LOBBY DAY at the capital in Salem. With one unified voice we will demand an OREGON DATA CENTER MORATORIUM NOW and then meet with and appeal to lawmakers that we need at least a 3-year pause on any new data center developments.
Before any permitting resumes, lawmakers must enact wide-ranging responsible regulations, protections and tax assessments that will guarantee Oregon's precious water, power, land and air resources are prioritized for Oregonians and kept safe from the reckless growth of data centers in our state.
This pause will cover two legislative sessions, allowing sufficient time to establish appropriate laws to safeguard our economy, environment and our public resources for all of us and for future Oregonians. We can then work toward broadening these new laws to help reign in and prevent further damage by existing data center operations.
"Lobby Days" are opportunities for Oregonians to meet in person with their representatives in advance of the relatively short, alternate year lawmaking sessions. These are valuable but short windows of time to personally express our most pressing and urgent concerns to our representatives --- so don't miss out! It will be a fantastic opportunity to meet fellow activists, show our power in numbers, and even make history. If our statewide moratorium passes, it could be the first in the nation, adding once again to our pioneering legacy of environmental protection alongside progress.
September 8th will consist of a rally and speeches on the capital steps, meetings with legislators, and the Senate and House Energy & Environment committee informational hearings.
Data centers have a huge impact on our state. We cannot afford to give away our limited water resources to corporations who put their profits ahead of people. Data center electricity demands will soon exceed our grid capacity and threaten our climate emission targets. They are often built on prime farm land or wetlands. They pay no sales tax in Oregon (as they do in other states), but they still receive tax abatements while failing to provide a sufficient number of jobs to justify the cost.
We cannot expect these industries to regulate themselves!
We need Oregon legislators to enact a 3-year moratorium to pause all new data center development to stop any further damage. Public pressure is the most powerful way to demonstrate fierce opposition to unregulated data centers and force our legislators to stand up for our Oregon values and our commitment to future generations.