Oregon is in the middle of a data center boom, and residents are starting to pay the price.

Massive server farms built by tech giants like Apple, Meta, and Google are consuming enormous amounts of electricity and water across our state. Right now, roughly 125 data centers operate in Oregon, with more on the way. Without meaningful statewide rules, that expansion could strain the power grid, spike electricity bills for everyday families, and reshape communities without residents ever getting a say.

The accountability gap is real.

When the Hillsboro City Council voted to temporarily block new data centers last week, residents got just 24 hours notice. In Salem, a California tech company nearly acquired state-owned land for a 75-acre facility before public backlash forced Gov. Tina Kotek to step in and cancel the sale.

These are not isolated incidents; they are signs of a system that has made it far too easy for corporations to move fast and ask forgiveness later.

Oregon's Data Center Advisory Committee is now meeting to craft statewide recommendations. This is a critical moment. The committee should push for enforceable standards: public notice and environmental review before large data centers break ground, limits on water and energy use, an end to unchecked property tax abatements, and real consequences for companies that do not comply.

Oregonians deserve to know what is being built in their communities, and to have a real say before it happens.

Sign this petition to urge Oregon's leaders to require that data centers meet the needs of our communities, our grid, and our environment.