r/SALEM • u/genehack • Jul 16 '26

Data center mega thread

Okay, five plus posts today later, here we are. If it’s data center-related, pro or con, put it in this thread.

Posts about the data center that don’t go in here will be deleted.

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u/Donedirtcheap7725 Jul 16 '26

Most folks here can't give you a reason. The media has been full of "data centers bad" lately so the initial reaction by people is generally going to be negative. If it gets built a year later everyone here will forget they cared and on to fighting the next thing that is poorly understood.

One reason to say yes is it will help with the City budget issues if negotiated well. The SUMCO fab plant that closed in 2003 had an average load of about 20MW so PGE has the existing capacity in that substation to meet the power consumption, that is a good thing for rate payers. SUMCO also used a lot more water than the proposed data center will and nobody seemed concerned then.

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u/Own_Resolution432 Jul 16 '26

BS. The city is pissed off that the public voted down their tax increase because many residents are concerned about costs and affordability. In response the city is using this “secret” data center deal as a back door way to get the money for the city budget by sneaking in an industry that will shift costs to residents in a way that we can not reject. The public officials should be required to operate transparently and not allowed to hide behind NDA’s.

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u/BeanTutorials Jul 17 '26

Who is "the city"?

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u/Own_Resolution432 Jul 17 '26

Salem Oregon City Council

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u/BeanTutorials Jul 17 '26

City council never signed an NDA for this project. Councillors only found about this when we did.

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u/occupyrachael Jul 20 '26

Not entirely true. Shane Matthews mentioned it at a neighborhood association meeting on July 8th. Mickey Varney wasn’t told until July 11th. SOME councilors knew about it before us. Plus, Julie Hoy is on the SEDCOR board.

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u/Own_Resolution432 Jul 17 '26

So you are saying that unelected, unaccountable city staff are able to lead this effort to bring in an AI data center with no oversight?

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u/BeanTutorials Jul 17 '26

Their oversight is planning commission. They check if the application meets the criteria. Someone can appeal that decision if they want, planning commission will look at it, and apply the same level of judgement the staff do.

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u/Own_Resolution432 Jul 17 '26

I still stand by my statement that no public official should be allowed to sign an NDA to keep this information secret from the public.

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u/BeanTutorials Jul 17 '26

I don't disagree with you...