County Blocks New Data Centers From Rural Areas

Washington County officials moved to limit data center expansion in rural areas following a contentious review process.

The Board of Commissioners voted 3-1 on Tuesday, October 27, to adopt a resolution opposing large-scale standalone data centers in unincorporated areas. Vice Chair Jerry Willey cast the only dissenting vote.

The approved measure directs county departments to stop voluntarily granting easements or rights-of-way that would facilitate the construction of these facilities. Exceptions apply only when legal requirements or specific road improvements make such grants necessary. This rule prevents the county from using its land access powers to support new infrastructure for data centers.

Commissioners also barred the county from selling, conveying, or leasing county-owned property to aid such development. The resolution further prohibits entering into nondisclosure agreements related to these projects unless the law requires it. These amendments were added to the original draft after a late proposal by Commissioner Nafisa Fai.

The resolution states that the county does not support using tax incentives intended for job creation to attract data centers. It endorses the work of Oregon’s Data Center Advisory Committee and supports moratoriums in other jurisdictions where development is likely. County staff will now assess whether a potential rules update should be included in future planning documents. The measure does not create a formal development moratorium or prohibit construction outright.

The vote followed weeks of disagreement. Willey originally pulled the item from the agenda on October 6 to give Fai more time to study the proposal. Fai later submitted amendments that were reviewed during a work session on October 20. Commissioner Jason Snider suggested incorporating three of those amendments if county counsel could draft acceptable language. The discussion ended without consensus, leading to the October 27 vote.

No large-scale standalone data centers currently exist in unincorporated Washington County, and no applications are pending, according to county officials. While existing regulations do not explicitly list data centers as an allowed use, a limited approval pathway may exist on certain industrially designated properties within the urban growth boundary. Staff consider such development unlikely due to infrastructure constraints. Hillsboro adopted permanent data center regulations on October 20, and Forest Grove approved a 120-day moratorium on October 12.