Hillsboro City Council Special Meeting - July 27, 2026: Temporary Moratorium on Data Centers and Battery Energy Storage Systems

The Hillsboro City Council held a special public hearing on Monday, July 27, 2026, at 9 a.m. to consider Resolution 2932, which would impose a temporary 120-day moratorium on new land use applications for data centers and battery energy storage systems (BESS). The meeting was the culmination of a 45-day notice period required by state law (ORS 197.505-197.540) and was intentionally scheduled on day 46 to prevent a rush of applications from developers. The council heard extensive public testimony, deliberated on definitions and scope, and ultimately voted to adopt the moratorium with amendments.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Chris Carpenter (Political Director, IBEW Local 48): Expressed concerns about a blanket moratorium, emphasizing the need for regulation but also noting the economic benefits of construction jobs and the importance of not pausing green energy projects. He urged the council to consider alternatives to a complete pause.
• Randall Friesen (Executive Director, Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council): Opposed the moratorium, advocating for case-by-case evaluation and decoupling data centers from BESS. He highlighted the importance of project labor agreements and community benefit agreements.
• Ruben Peterson (Hillsboro resident and farmer): Supported the moratorium but called for a permanent ban, citing environmental and resource destruction.
• Aaron Nichols (Board member, Friends of Smart Growth): Supported the moratorium, urging the council to include AI computing facilities in the definition and to limit data center acreage to 15% of buildable space. He also called for the moratorium to apply to pending applications.
• Suzanne Kylesum (Hillsboro resident): Supported the moratorium, noting that data center tax abatements cost the Hillsboro School District $128 million in 2024 and that the city's 35 data centers provide few long-term jobs.
• Michael Mint (Milwaukee resident, environmental scientist): Raised concerns about data center obsolescence, surety bonds, and the true water impact of closed-loop cooling systems.
• Leif Eccles: Supported a permanent moratorium, warning of an AI bubble and potential ghost towns. He called for heavy taxes on existing data centers to fund schools and environmental cleanup.
• Sandra P: Supported the moratorium but argued 120 days is insufficient; requested a multi-year pause to study irreversible harm.
• Joshua Basiffin (Clean Energy Program Director, Climate Solutions): Opposed including BESS in the moratorium, stating that battery storage is essential for Oregon's clean energy goals and that any delay would be devastating.
• Ann Thrall Nash (Hillsboro Planning Commissioner, speaking as individual): Opposed the BESS moratorium, warning it could inadvertently stall household and business battery storage systems and lead to increased use of diesel generators.
• Wendy Valise (Portland General Electric): Opposed including BESS, arguing that battery storage is critical utility infrastructure for electric reliability and the clean energy transition, and deserves separate consideration.
• Adam Capage (Director of Outreach, Renewable Northwest): Opposed BESS inclusion, noting that the city's work plan does not adequately address BESS and that separate standards should be developed.
• Jen Little (Vice President of Public Affairs, Washington County Chamber of Commerce): Opposed the moratorium, citing insufficient stakeholder engagement (24-hour notice) and urging the council to await the governor's data center advisory council recommendations.
• Steve Sieber (Trammell Crow Portland Development): Opposed the moratorium, requesting a pause and adherence to standard policy processes, noting the resolution was not mentioned at the previous week's work session.
• Simone Campbell (Hillsboro resident): Strongly supported the moratorium, citing city findings that data center acreage has more than doubled since 2020 and that cumulative impacts (noise, heat islands, air pollution) need study.
• Barbara (Hillsboro resident): Supported the moratorium, criticizing the lack of transparency (NDAs with corporations, 24-hour notice) and urging the council to prioritize public trust.
• Kimberly Colbertson (Hillsboro resident): Supported the moratorium but requested at least 240 days to properly study impacts.
• Dirk Knutson (Hillsboro resident): Supported the moratorium, asking the council to direct staff to begin land absorption and environmental studies immediately to enable future extensions under ORS 197.520.
• Carmen Clausen (graduate student): Supported the moratorium, expressing concern about transparency and comparing Hillsboro's situation to the Dalles, where Google's data center uses a third of the city's water.
• William Hoffman: Supported the moratorium, citing the dangers of AI and data centers, including a court case involving Google's Gemini AI.
• Mr. Brown (Brown Wildfire): Supported the moratorium, calling for radical change and criticizing the city's approach.
• Andres Perez Leite: Supported the moratorium, urging the council to rebuild trust with the community.
• Antonio Lopez: Opposed the moratorium as performative, arguing that applications already submitted will be approved and that the council should declare a state of emergency and sue the state.
• Dennis Moran (retired union carpenter): Opposed the moratorium, arguing that construction workers are travelers who don't live in the county and that tax abatements have cost billions, harming schools and local taxpayers.
• Elise Fast: Supported the moratorium, urging an indefinite extension and a list of requirements for data centers, including environmental standards, minimum jobs, and higher electricity rates.
• Gwen Lilly: Supported the moratorium, reminding the council that they are servants of the people and that the community is watching.
• Jerry Willie (Washington County Commissioner, speaking personally): Supported the moratorium but urged separating BESS, which he said helps stabilize energy prices and prevent brownouts.
• Jacob Roloff (farmer): Supported the moratorium, noting that many approved sites are not yet built and should be included, and that 120 days is insufficient for thorough environmental studies.
• Melanie Bond: Supported the moratorium, linking data centers to surveillance, ICE, and authoritarianism.
• Al Weibel (Hillsboro resident): Supported the moratorium, comparing the meeting to discussing locks after a burglary and noting that data centers will be obsolete within 10 years.
• Sam: Supported the moratorium, urging that it apply to already approved but not yet built sites.
• Anjanette Banuelos Balanos (Representative, Tradeswomen 737): Opposed the moratorium, arguing for case-by-case evaluation and the use of project labor agreements to ensure family-wage jobs.
• Stephen Archibald: Supported the moratorium, questioning the profitability of AI and data centers and urging the council to listen to the people.
• Matthew Van Horn (lifelong Hillsboro resident): Supported the moratorium, calling it the bare minimum and criticizing the council's timing and lack of transparency.
• Denise Kerr: Supported the moratorium, criticizing the city's ethics and process, and asking for council members' backgrounds.
• Tracy Schultz: Supported the moratorium, emphasizing the need for cumulative impact studies and robust public engagement before permanent regulations.
• Ross Schwarzendruber (Willamette Valley Neighbors): Supported the moratorium and urged other valley cities to adopt similar measures, warning of speculative investment bubbles.
• Helen Krieger: Supported the moratorium, suggesting the city invest in sustainable development like recycling centers.
• Finn Vining: Supported the moratorium, expressing concern that AI and data centers will destroy creative careers and community identity.
• Jonathan Allen Palmer: Supported the moratorium, citing rising utility bills and the burden on low-income families.
• Jody Clark Lampa: Supported the moratorium, pleading with the council to restore trust and consider the emotional and psychological health of the community.
• Ahmed: Supported the moratorium, thanking the council for their service but urging them to focus on community needs.
• Karim Delgado (small business owner): Supported the moratorium, warning that the council's focus on a single industry risks neglecting small businesses and that union leaders are aligning with corporate interests.
• Carter Calhoun: Supported the moratorium, calling for an indefinite extension and warning that the council will lose the next election if they fail to act.

Discussion Items

• Council Deliberation and Amendments: After closing the public hearing, council members discussed the scope of the moratorium. Key points included:
  • Definition of Data Centers: Councilor Sinclair proposed adding explicit language covering AI computing, artificial intelligence training/inference, and digital asset mining to the definition. City Attorney Josh Soper drafted clarifying language, which was added to Section 2B.
  • Primary Use Definition: To prevent loopholes, the council added criteria for determining whether a use is primary (e.g., occupying more than 20% of gross square footage, accounting for more than 20% of construction cost, or drawing more than 20% of site capacity or exceeding 20 megawatts).
  • Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS): Councilor Amvery moved to remove BESS from the moratorium, arguing it should be addressed separately. Councilor Alcair and Councilor Salgado supported keeping BESS in, citing public safety concerns (e.g., lithium-ion battery fires) and the need for regulation. The council ultimately voted to keep BESS included in the moratorium.
  • Timeline and Extensions: Councilor Alcair advocated for planning beyond 120 days, but City Attorney Jacobs clarified that state law allows only 120-day initial periods, with extensions possible after demonstrating progress. The council agreed to revisit the need for an extension before the 120 days expire.
  • Studies and Engagement: Councilor Salgado requested a detailed engagement plan, including regular updates and a calendar of meetings. City Manager Hammond confirmed that staff would develop a plan and share it with the council.

Key Outcomes

• Vote: The council voted unanimously (6-0) to adopt Resolution 2932 as amended. Roll call: Councilor Salgado (aye), Councilor Harris (aye), Councilor Case (aye), Councilor Amvery (aye), Councilor Sinclair (aye), Councilor Alcair (aye). (Councilor Aubrey was present but not listed in roll call; the published minutes may clarify.)
• Effective Moratorium: A temporary 120-day moratorium on new land use applications for data centers and battery energy storage systems is now in effect. The moratorium applies to both primary uses and standalone BESS facilities, with the amended definitions to prevent circumvention.
• Next Steps: The city will initiate studies on environmental and economic impacts, begin code text amendments, and engage stakeholders. The council will receive regular updates and may consider extending the moratorium if progress is demonstrated.