Woodburn City Council Imposes 120-Day Moratorium on New Data Center Permits
The Woodburn City Council in Oregon has approved a 120-day moratorium, halting the acceptance, review, and approval of permits for new data center projects.
Portland, OR, September 15, 2026 —
WOODBURN, OR – The Woodburn City Council has enacted a 120-day moratorium that will pause the processing of applications for new data center construction. The decision, approved by the council, effectively halts the acceptance, review, and approval of permits specifically for data center projects within the city for the duration of the moratorium period.
The moratorium is set to begin immediately following the council’s approval. Details regarding the specific reasons that prompted the city council to implement this pause on data center development were not immediately available. The duration of the halt is fixed at 120 days.
During this period, any new proposals or permit applications related to data center development will not be accepted or processed by the city’s planning or permitting departments. The moratorium allows the city government time to consider the implications of new data center projects, potentially to review existing zoning ordinances, environmental impacts, infrastructure demands, or other relevant factors associated with such developments.
Information regarding what steps, if any, will be taken after the 120-day period concludes, such as potential policy changes or a vote to extend, was not provided. The moratorium applies exclusively to new data center projects and does not affect existing data centers or other types of development within Woodburn. The contractor names involved or any specific companies that may have had applications pending were not specified in the council’s announcement of the moratorium.
Story summarized from the original created by FOX 12 Staff on www.kptv.com, see more information here.
