Oregon: Hillsboro / Portland + The Dalles
Essentially sold out, data centers now pay more by law, and the core city is weighing a permanent cap. Growth shifts east (The Dalles, Umatilla/Morrow) onto public power.
CBRE H1 2026: Hillsboro 491.4 MW inventory, 1.1 MW available [Cushman & Wakefield, 2026 Global Data Center Market Comparison (Americas rankings) (2026-05); CBRE press release: demand continues to outpace supply (H1 2026 market table) (2026-08)]
Power and the queue
- PGE's POWER Act tariff covers data centers at 20 MW or more. Data center rates rose about 29% on average while residential fell 1.3%, with minimum demand charges and exit fees. [Oregon PUC: approves PGE rate updates (higher bills for data centers) (2026)]
- CBRE H1 2026: Hillsboro had 1.1 MW available, the tightest of the primary markets after N. Virginia. [CBRE press release: demand continues to outpace supply (H1 2026 market table) (2026-08)]
Notable projects owners where public
No verified public item yet. This is a gap we are working on.
Regulatory posture incentives, moratoria, zoning, water, large-load rules
- Hillsboro adopted a 120-day pause on new AI data center applications and is moving toward a permanent ceiling on data centers (Oct 2026). [KATU: Hillsboro pauses new AI data centers, what's next over the next 120 days (2026); OregonLive: Hillsboro moves toward a permanent ceiling on data centers (2026-10)]
- HB 3546 (2025, POWER Act) created a separate PUC service classification and tariff for large energy-use facilities. [Moratorium Nation dataset (M. Bommarito, CC BY 4.0), current through Sep 23, 2026 (2026-09-23)]
Pending legislation and actions 0 items
None tracked.
In force / enacted 5 items
| Date | Jurisdiction | Item | Status | Impact | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | Hillsboro city | 120-day pause on new AI data center applications; permanent ceiling under studyuncertain The city is moving toward a permanent cap on data centers (Oct 2026). | in force | high | [KATU: Hillsboro pauses new AI data centers, what's next over the next 120 days (2026)] |
| 2026-09-14 | Woodburn city | Moratorium ordinance adopted by the Woodburn City Council on 2026-09-14; the city filed the required 45-day notice of intent to consider a moratorium with the Oregon Department of Land Conservation an City Council unanimously adopted a 120-day moratorium on considering new data center applications while the city reviews and potentially revises its development code. Duration: 120 days from adoption (2026-09-14 to 2027-01-12); the City Manager stated the coun | in force | high | [https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2026/09/15/woodburn-oregon-places-120-da] |
| 2026-07-08 | Portland General Electric utility | POWER Act tariff for 20 MW+ data centers Data center rates up about 29% on average and residential down 1.3%, with minimum demand charges, exit fees and a clean-energy interconnection queue. | in force | high | [Oregon PUC: approves PGE rate updates (higher bills for data centers) (2026)] |
| 2026-04-06 | Oregon state | HB 4084 (2026) Creates a Joint Permitting Council and fast-track permitting program for eligible economic development projects. As enacted, it also restricts enterprise-zone treatment for data centers: the extended exemption period may not apply to qualified property used in | enacted | high | [HB 4084 (2026 Regular Session) - Measure Overview - OLIS] |
| 2025-07-07 | Oregon state | HB 3546 (2025) Creates a separate PUC service classification and tariff for large energy use facilities using or able to use 20 MW or more and primarily engaged in NAICS 518210 services; requires cost allocation or direct assignment to prevent unwarranted cost shifting to ot | enacted | high | [HB 3546 (2025 Regular Session) - Measure Overview - OLIS] |
Pricing & supply snapshot directional
MW Desk estimate / directional range, Q4 2026
Asking-rate bands below are MW Desk directional estimates in USD per kW-month. They are rounded ranges, not quoted rates, and they go stale quickly.
- Retail colo (roughly 0–250 kW): $145–360/kW-mo
- Wholesale (roughly 250 kW–4 MW): $110–220/kW-mo
- Large / hyperscale blocks (roughly 4 MW+): $100–215/kW-mo
- Vacancy band: under 0.5% (extremely tight)
- Commissioned inventory (directional): ~0.5–0.8 GW
- Available power (directional): ~0–15 MW
- Under construction: ~25–50 MW
- Planned pipeline: ~0.6–0.9 GW
- Absorption: solid positive absorption
- Power / timing: Immediate powered shell is scarce; expect multi-year waits for net-new large-load service in constrained pockets.
Uses Portland-metro lease bands as the proxy for Hillsboro / Portland / The Dalles colo.
Indicative only. Ranges are rounded and adjusted directional estimates, not quoted asking rates or a survey. Confirm with brokers and operators before acting. Source data ages quickly.
TJ field notes
Coming soon: TJ's on-the-ground notes on this market. Expect what the queue really looks like, which sites can actually get power, and what the brokers aren't saying.
Slot reserved for TJ's detailed market report.