Data Centers and Community Benefits

Large industrial investments, such as data centers and renewable energy projects, have brought meaningful revenue and economic activity to Wasco County. However, the benefits are not evenly felt, and the burdens, including increased water demand, strain on roads and emergency services, and the long-term uncertainty of tax incentives, are not evenly shared by the communities that host them. Our county government has a fundamental responsibility to ensure that economic development actually improves people’s lives, which requires a firm balance that protects residents and strengthens public infrastructure.

If we want public trust, we need public accountability and a commitment to ensuring that the people who live here are served first.

Protecting Water and Infrastructure

With six data centers already operating and growing concern about future water use, the county faces a critical gap in oversight. Before approving additional development, the county must establish enforceable requirements for water efficiency, infrastructure impacts, and long-term sustainability, and create a transparent system to verify compliance over time. Water is a public resource, and protecting it must take precedence over private expansion.

Ensuring Fair Community Returns

The county must adopt policies that ensure these large investments provide a direct, meaningful return to the community:

• Reinvest Revenue Where Impacts Occur: A meaningful portion of revenue generated by these projects must be reinvested locally, into water systems, emergency services, road improvements, and community development, to maintain fairness and public support.

• Increase Transparency in Tax Incentives: Residents deserve to understand how tax agreements are made, what the county is giving up, and what the community is receiving in return. Clear communication and reporting procedures are needed so people can see the link between industrial revenue and real community outcomes, especially around infrastructure resilience.

• Reevaluate Future Tax Abatements: Given the scale of existing development and the strain on water and infrastructure, it is time to reassess the use of additional tax abatement programs. Incentives should only be offered when they clearly benefit the public, not simply because they have been offered in the past.

This balance is not only possible it is necessary for long-term community resilience.