Oregon data centers accounted for 23% of 2025 retail energy sales, report finds

A report released Thursday by ECOnorthwest and the University of Virginia found Oregon has 111 operational data centers occupying 22.1 million square feet and accounting for 23 percent of the state's retail energy sales in 2025. Thirty-two more facilities totaling 6.9 million square feet are under construction or planned. Researchers project data-center electricity use could reach nearly 25 terawatt-hours by 2030, or about 31 to 32 percent of statewide demand, comparable to 2.5 million homes. The report says accommodating that load will require new electricity resources, transmission capacity, and coordinated infrastructure planning. The facilities directly employ 2,630 workers. The Portland-based Lemelson Foundation funded the study.