rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/petition/oregon-statewide-data-center-moratorium-petition?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-petition-area-oregon-statewide-data-center-moratorium-petition' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Eugene DSA General https://actionnetwork.org/groups/eugene-dsa-2 https://actionnetwork.org//images/generic_facebook.jpg 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. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/oregon-statewide-data-center-moratorium-petition