Salem Pauses New Data Centers | Portland News

Portland News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 4, 2026 · 1m

Salem’s City Council just took a bold step toward slowing the data center boom—unanimously voting to start the process of imposing a temporary moratorium on new construction, even though it’s not yet official. Verrus’s Oakline project at Mill Creek might be exempt since it was filed under old rules, but Salem is now joining Hillsboro and Woodburn in a regional trend to rein in massive tech infrastructure. Staff will soon draft formal notices and bring revised land use policies back to council for final approval—putting the brakes on future growth while navigating legal gray areas. Listen in…