Woodburn OR 120-day data center moratorium (2026)

Woodburn, Ore. (Marion County) — 120-DAY MORATORIUM on data center development, approved UNANIMOUSLY by the City Council on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2026. OPERATIVE EFFECT: prevents the city from CONSIDERING ANY NEW APPLICATIONS for the duration; the source characterises it as 'the next three months' although the stated term is 120 days. PURPOSE: during the pause, city officials will analyse potential impacts to THE ENVIRONMENT, CITY REGULATIONS AND OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE. THE OPERATIVE CONSTRAINT IS WATER, NOT POWER: 'City officials say Woodburn might not be able to accommodate the potentially large amount of water that data centers often require.' This distinguishes the entry from the ratepayer/grid-capacity rationale that dominates the dataset (H.R. 9340 Ratepayer Protection Act (House-passed 417-3; blocked in Senate), TN HB 1847 data center ratepayer protection (2026), AZ HB 2756 Utilities/High Load Factor) and aligns it with the water-scarcity cohort. PRE-EMPTIVE BUT NOT SPECULATIVE: Woodburn has NO CURRENT OR PENDING DATA CENTER APPLICATIONS, but city officials previously said CALIFORNIA-BASED VERRUS had been EXPLORING building a center within city limits. That posture — a named prospective developer, no filed application — is the optimal moratorium timing under the vested-rights pattern this dataset repeatedly records, where pauses adopted after an application or development agreement were defeated (Rockford IL annexation agreement, Cle Elum WA 2002 development agreement, Salem pre-filed application, Lowell settlement). OREGON CONTEXT: Oregon land-use law channels local regulation through the statewide planning goals and the Land Use Board of Appeals; the source does not state the ordinance's statutory basis, the vote's form (emergency clause or otherwise), or whether the moratorium was adopted under ORS 197.520, the statute governing local moratoria on construction, WHICH REQUIRES WRITTEN FINDINGS of a shortage of public facilities or a demonstrated need. THAT STATUTORY QUESTION IS UNRESOLVED HERE and is flagged rather than answered. expires_date IS COMPUTED as 120 days from adoption and is NOT stated in the source. ORDINANCE NUMBER NOT OBTAINED.