Oregon Data Center Advisory Committee
Oregon state committee advising on data-centre policy.
Oregon's Data Center Advisory Committee now sets the clock on the state's permit freeze: on 9 October 2026 Governor Tina Kotek asked regulators to hold data-centre permits until 1 July 2027, so the panel can report before the 2027 legislative session.
Last refreshed: 18 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
What will Oregon's data-centre advisers recommend before the 2027 legislative session?
Timeline for Oregon Data Center Advisory Committee
Mentioned in: Kotek seeks pause on data-centre permits
Data Centres: Boom and BacklashBackground
The Oregon Data Center Advisory Committee is a seven-member panel that Governor Tina Kotek announced on 20 January 2026. The Oregon Department of Energy hosts it. Its charge is to recommend a regulatory framework that allows economic development while keeping utility costs, infrastructure investment and environmental effects sustainable and fair, especially for low-income and working families. Margaret Hoffman of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council and the energy policy specialist Michael Jung co-chair it, and it first met on 27 February 2026.
On 10 September 2026 the committee published a preliminary learnings and questions document, open for public comment until 24 October. Kotek's request of 9 October, that environmental regulators stop issuing data-centre permits until July 2027, is tied to the committee reporting in time for lawmakers in 2027.
The panel works in a state that has already moved grid costs onto large users. In July Oregon's Public Utility Commission approved a 29% rate rise for Portland General Electric customers above 20 MW.
What is the Oregon Data Center Advisory Committee?
Who chairs Oregon's Data Center Advisory Committee?
How is the advisory committee linked to Oregon's data-centre permit pause?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 18 October 2026. Editorial standards.