Governor Tina Kotek has ordered every Oregon state agency to immediately halt processing of unapproved requests for state-owned land tied to data center projects, a directive that will remain in effect through July 1, 2027, unless overridden by action from the Governor’s Office or the Legislature before that date.
The pause, announced September 8, 2026, covers easements, rights-of-way, leases, rentals, land-use permits, and any sales or transfers of state-owned property sought in connection with data center development. The order applies across all state agencies simultaneously.
What the Directive Covers
The freeze is intended to allow for a coordinated statewide evaluation of the long-term impacts of large-scale data center development. According to the Governor’s Office, that evaluation will examine infrastructure capacity, environmental sustainability, water usage, job creation, and the effects on surrounding communities.
Kotek framed the action as a necessary pause while the state continues to work through questions about what data center growth means for Oregonians at large.
“Data center corporations are asking communities to absorb enormous demands on our water, energy, infrastructure, and natural resources, and we need to know what that means for Oregonians,” she said in the announcement.
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