There are currently plans to built a data center in Hillsboro, at Vanderzanden Windmill and tulip farm. This is a huge problem for several reasons. First, this data center will be replacing usable farmland and historically rich buildings. Second, it will have negative environmental impacts, likely creating huge amounts of light, noise, and air pollution. Third, it will consume massive amounts of water and electricity to run. If you are going to sign this petition, you should know both sides of the story. Some believe that this data center will be a good thing because it will create jobs and boost the economy. I disagree with this because, past the construction, the data center will not hire many people. Furthermore, as of right now, the company has a 5 year enterprise package on the property, meaning they will not have to pay any property taxes for the land for the next five years!
If you would like to learn more (which I reccomend), here are the articles I used:
https://hillsboroherald.com/190-years-of-farming-ends-as-latest-massive-data-centers-and-factories-expand-in-hillsboro/
https://andthewest.stanford.edu/2025/thirsty-for-power-and-water-ai-crunching-data-centers-sprout-across-the-west/
https://hbr.org/2024/07/the-uneven-distribution-of-ais-environmental-impacts?utm_medium=paidsearch&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=domcontent_bussoc&utm_term=Non-Brand&tpcc=domcontent_bussoc&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20702632551&gclid=CjwKCAjw6ZTCBhBOEiwAqfwJdyAw1J3_1AQQPY9xzv_r2Q5N3E2P3OjHaQBK4pTIehhVc72KszpRQBoCGj4QAvD_BwE