Councilors Koyama Lane and Green Introduce Resolution to Ban Data Center NDAs and Keep Deals Public

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PORTLAND, Ore. - Today, Portland City Councilors Tiffany Koyama Lane and Mitch Green announced a proposed resolution urging the City Administrator and all City leadership to refrain from signing non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) related to data center development, and to ensure that all decisions affecting Portlanders - from siting and permitting to utility rates and public engagement - happen in the open.

"Let's be very clear that this is about our very survival and the survival of children and their children. I don't take this lightly. Data centers consume the basic necessities of life - like the air we breathe, the water drink, our natural environment. Portlanders are already hurting in very real ways with their utility bills and all the increasing costs to simply exist, let alone thrive," Councilor Koyama Lane said. "This is a baseline and the simplest action we can take now. It should be a no-brainer. Especially after the very secretive start of the Moda Center negotiations which truly hurt public trust."

The resolution comes as Oregon communities near existing data center clusters have documented rising concerns tied to the industry's rapid growth, including impacts on natural resource use, groundwater, energy bills, and public health. In June and July 2026, several regional governments moved to get ahead of similar concerns: the Hillsboro City Council unanimously approved a 120-day moratorium on new data center development, while Seattle and Tacoma enacted bans on new data center construction.

Councilor Green said, "We've seen lobbyists for data centers and irresponsible elected officials bypass public processes all over this state, and we've seen the devastating consequences of that for Oregonians. This resolution is an important step towards ensuring that any efforts to develop data centers in Portland are fully transparent and involve a rigorous public process."

Supporters of the resolution point to several factors driving the need for oversight in Portland:

• The state's data center buildout has coincided with a 50% increase in energy bills for Portland General Electric and Pacific Power customers. Data centers now account for 5.6% of Oregon's total electricity consumption.
• The daily water consumption of some hyperscale data centers is equivalent to that of thousands of households.
• Data centers' energy demands often require diesel generators and industrial cooling systems, which can contribute to emissions and noise pollution in surrounding communities.
• Local and national examples show that low-income communities and communities of color most often bear the health burden of data center development, including impacts on air quality, water quality, and hazardous waste exposure. Taking action to prevent these disparate harms is consistent with the City's core values of anti-racism and equity.
• In other jurisdictions, elected officials have faced pressure to sign NDAs during data center negotiations, shielding project details from public view. The resolution affirms that transparency is a core City of Portland value, and that the community must be informed - and given a meaningful opportunity to weigh in - on any future data center development in Portland.

If adopted, the resolution would:

1. Urge the City Administrator and City leadership to refrain from signing any NDAs related to supporting, permitting, or allowing data centers, including agreements tied to siting, permits, future scaling, fees, public engagement, economic opportunities, use of resources, and utility rates.
2. Encourage all City of Portland officials to engage in transparent, public processes for all decisions related to data center support, incentives, permits, and allowances.

This resolution does not restrict or prohibit data center development in Portland. It establishes a policy expectation that any City decisions related to data centers (including negotiations, incentives, and permitting) be conducted through transparent, public processes rather than confidential agreements. Banning NDAs is a fast and easy step while the Councilors continue to understand the legal processes, risks, and implications of a ban or moratorium.

The resolution is scheduled for an initial reading before the Housing & Permitting Committee on September 1, 2026 as the first step to move it to full Council.