Data center firm Verrus is attempting to move forward with its planned campus in Salem, Oregon, despite the state governor's attempt to block the project. The company is also now contending with a local moratorium on new data center developments in the city.
– Verrus
Verrus, a data center developer backed by Alphabet spin-out Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, was planning a three-building campus on land in Marion County, some 45 miles south of Portland. Full details of the project hadn’t been shared, but the first phase was set to offer “dozens” of megawatts on a 75-acre site.
However, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek stepped in this week to block the sale of 32 acres of land owned by the state to Verrus. In her announcement, Governor Kotek said that “growth has to make sense for the community, for our infrastructure, and for our natural resources.”
In statements to local press, Verrus said it was “greatly disappointed” in the decision. But despite Governor Kotek’s intervention, Verrus seems set to carry on and attempt to develop the project without the 32 acres of state-owned land.
