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Oregon Data Center Intel
Latest data center news, projects, power and policy across Oregon — updated daily.
Recent Oregon data center news
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SRP and ESS Announce New 50 MWh Long Duration Energy Storage Pilot Project
Salt River Project (SRP) and ESS announced Project New Horizon, a 5 MW / 50 MWh iron flow long-duration energy storage pilot to be installed at SRP’s Copper Crossing Energy and Research Center and sold to SRP under a 10-year energy storage agreement.
- Project details and timeline: The pilot is 5 MW, 50 MWh (10 hours discharge) using ESS’s Energy Base iron flow technology; design is underway, manufacturing begins in 2026, and ESS will deliver the project by December 2027. SRP and ESS will work with EPRI to monitor performance data, and the project resulted from SRP’s 2024 RFP for LDES pilots.
- Background and technical specifics: The system will store enough energy to power 1,125 average-size homes for 10 hours and uses mainly iron, salt and water, offers “fast charging” (≤10 hours), is Made in America with >90% domestic content, and has an expected 25-year life expectancy. The Copper Crossing site currently hosts a 99-MW natural gas facility, a 55-MW solar project under construction, and will host CMBlu Energy’s Desert Blume 5 MW, 10-hour LDES project.
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Alaska Governor Pitches State as a Data Center Hub for AI-Era Compute
Governor Mike Dunleavy pitched Alaska as a competitive location for next-generation data center development at Data Center World Power in Texas.
- Main announcement/action: Governor Mike Dunleavy presented Alaska’s “arctic advantage”—highlighting 30 degrees cooler average temperatures vs. Texas and claiming it could save a one-gigawatt plant upwards of $150 million a year in reduced ancillary cooling; he emphasized abundant freshwater, vast land (the state owns 110 million acres), and a tax posture with no state income tax and no state sales tax as competitive benefits for data center operators.
- Background, timelines and project details: Dunleavy pointed to the Alaska LNG development (saying gas delivery to south central Alaska is expected in two years and exports to Asia by 2030), projected wholesale power of “four or five cents a kilowatt hour” for decades, multiple fiber routes with ~12 milliseconds latency to the Oregon coast, and renewable potential (hydro, wind, geothermal, tidal) plus large tracts suitable for carbon-offset projects.
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Microsoft Bets $33B on Neoclouds to Ease AI Crunch
Microsoft announced a major capacity deal with neocloud Nebius to source AI computing power as part of a broader neocloud strategy.
- Main action: Microsoft agreed a deal with Nebius Group worth up to $19.4 billion (outlined Sept. 8) to access computing capacity including more than 100,000 Nvidia GB300 chips, enabling Microsoft to run internal large-language-model training and a consumer AI assistant at neocloud facilities and free its own servers to sell AI services. This is part of more than $33 billion in commitments Microsoft has made to neocloud providers (including CoreWeave, Nscale, Lambda).
- Background and implementation details: The move addresses tight AI data-center capacity and gives Microsoft financial flexibility by shifting some costs to operational expenses (per Bernstein analyst Mark Moerdler). Microsoft continues in-house expansion (announced a second phase at its Racine, Wisconsin site to bring utility power capacity to at least 900 megawatts). Deals include regional arrangements (e.g., Nscale for the UK and Norway) and earlier capacity rentals (e.g., Oracle for an AI-infused Bing).
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Amazon Signs Deal for Solar Energy to Power Data Centers in U.S.
Amazon announced it has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Avangrid to purchase electricity from the Oregon Trail Solar project in Oregon.
- Project details: Oregon Trail Solar — 57 MWdc (41 MWac) capacity, expected operations in 2027, will supply Amazon’s data centers in the Pacific Northwest; construction is projected to create ~200 construction jobs (mostly local union workers), will install >100,000 solar panels, and is expected to generate roughly the annual electricity consumption of ~10,000 U.S. households.
- Background and other details:Avangrid has operated in Oregon since 2001 and runs 2.5 GW of capacity in-state, including a National Training Center in Sherman County and a corporate office in Portland; the project will contribute approximately US$6 million in combined payments in lieu of taxes and property taxes over its lifetime to benefit schools and infrastructure; this is a follow-up collaboration after Avangrid and Amazon’s agreement for the Leaning Juniper IIA repower and follows similar partnerships in Illinois, Ohio, and North Carolina.
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Fuel Cells: The Next Big Thing in On-Site Energy for Data Centers?
Equinix announced a collaboration with energy provider Bloom to deploy fuel cells at 19 data centers (announcement in August).
- Main announcement: Equinix is collaborating with energy provider Bloom to deploy fuel cells at 19 data centers (announced in August). The article notes the move highlights reduction of emissions and water use, but does not specify timelines or the exact types of fuel cells to be used.
- Background and details: Fuel cells are described as scalable, low-water and operationally emissions-free devices, but the article flags an indirect carbon footprint from fuel production and a typical installation cost of around $7 per watt (about twice solar and multiple times diesel generators). It also cites past/ongoing pilots or deployments involving Amazon (worked with Bloom Energy but reportedly scaled back), Microsoft, Google, and Plug Power.
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Avangrid to supply power from Oregon Trail Solar Project to Amazon
Avangrid has announced a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Amazon for the Oregon Trail Solar Project.
- Project and deal details: 57MW DC Oregon Trail Solar in Gilliam County, Oregon will supply renewable energy to Amazon’s data centres in the region; the facility is scheduled to start operations in 2027 and the PPA is the agreed mechanism for energy supply for those data centres.
- Background and additional facts: The project features >100,000 solar panels, will generate electricity equivalent to ~10,000 US homes, is expected to create around 200 construction jobs (largely local union labour), and Avangrid anticipates approximately $6m in payments in lieu of taxes and property taxes over its lifetime; this builds on a prior PPA tied to the Leaning Juniper IIA repower project in Gilliam County and other agreements across Illinois, Ohio, and North Carolina. Avangrid has operated in Oregon since 2001 and currently manages 2.5GW of capacity and facilities including the National Training Center in Sherman County and a corporate office in Portland. Last month Avangrid signed a contract with SmartestEnergy for power from two projects in New Hampshire.
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Data center vacancies plummet amid power supply constraints
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Potential Energy: Is BESS the Answer to Data Centers’ Gridlocked Future?
De Gaulle Fleurance hosted a webinar on the evolving role of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Europe’s decarbonization efforts.
- Confirmed facts & project data: The webinar featured legal and energy experts from France, Belgium, Poland, and the UK; RTE projects renewable output could reach 320 TWh by 2035; battery capacity grew from <50 MW to 1.07 GW in five years, with >7 GW of projects holding grid access rights; the EU added 11.9 GW of BESS last year and the U.S. reported a 34% storage increase as of March 2024; identified vendors include ZincFive, Schneider Electric, Eaton, EPC Power, and Vertiv; U.S. states with SGIPs: California, New York, Maryland, New Jersey and other supportive states include Virginia, Oregon, Iowa, Texas.
- Costs, policies & planned initiatives: Reported average BESS cost $400–$600 per kWh (Exenell); U.S. is on track to install ~15 GW in 2025 (~25% increase over 2024) (projection); NESO’s connections reform is expected/hopecasting to unlock £40 billion ($53 billion) per year (anticipated); regulatory milestones cited include FERC Order No. 841 (2020) allowing batteries in wholesale markets and EU measures like VAT exemptions and tariff waivers; distinctions noted between confirmed deployments (installed GW) and planned/projection figures (15 GW in 2025, NESO investment expectations).
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Climate Change Solutions - July 29, 2025
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) newsletter highlights recent climate change solutions, legislative updates, and upcoming events.
- Innovative technologies such as AI-driven disaster resilience tools by U.S. National Laboratories and upgraded air filters to reduce wildfire smoke injuries are featured.
- Legislative progress includes the Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act passed by the House, the La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act advancing with job creation and solar capacity details, and the Fire Ready Nation Act advancing in the Senate to enhance wildfire forecasting.
- Upcoming briefings focus on Ohio River restoration and the intersection of AI and climate policy.
- The newsletter also provides links to recordings of the 28th annual Congressional Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency EXPO and related policy forums.
- EESI President Daniel Bresette is quoted on energy and AI topics; contact details and social media links for EESI are provided.
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Protected: Where the Power Flows: The Top 10 Hyperscale Data Centers by Load in North America — Powered by Enverus Instant Analyst™
Enverus has announced insights into the top 10 largest hyperscale data centers by load in North America, highlighting key locations and their energy consumption.
- Top data centers include Microsoft Azure, Meta, Vantage Data Centers, and Colocation America with loads ranging from 590 MW to 1,862 MW.
- Enverus offers tools like Instant Analyst™ and PRISM™ to accelerate data center siting by analyzing power demand, pricing, and land suitability, supporting faster and more informed infrastructure development.