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| | Data Centers Eat A Quarter of State Power | A new study found the state’s 111 existing data centers account for about 23% of retail electricity sales statewide, and Oregon’s current electricity grid is likely unprepared to meet rising demand. The study also noted there’s a regional divide emerging in Oregon: there’s a “mature data center market” east of the Cascade Mountains — where 70 facilities are located — but the industry remains less developed west of the range. [OPB / City Cast Portland 🎧] | - Higher Electricity Costs: The Bonneville Power Administration wants to raise rates by 6%, which utility providers say will fall on customers. This comes after a federal court ruled the power administration must do more to protect fish populations. Hydropower used to be the region’s No. 1 power source, but droughts and less snowpack have disrupted its reliability. [OPB]
- No Nondisclosures: Meanwhile, Portland City Council approved a resolution last week that urges the city administrator not to enter into nondisclosure agreements with data center developers. An amendment to the resolution says the council intends to pursue a moratorium or “zoning restriction” on hyperscale data centers, which typically require 10,000 square feet of floor space. [Portland.gov / Willamette Week]
| | | PODCAST | Tuesday, September 22 |
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| What Portland's Talking About |
| Oregon’s Anonymous Tip Line Is Ending | The nonprofit Crime Stoppers of Oregon helped clear hundreds of cases in the 1980s and ‘90s and issued thousands of dollars in rewards. But only eight cases have been cleared with the organization’s help since 2022, according to its chairman., Many now turn to social media for crime-solving help from the public. [OPB] | | Protesters Clash at The Sports Bra | Right-wing demonstrators have gathered twice outside the Northeast Portland bar after a Sept. 6 incident when the bar asked a group wearing shirts with anti-trans messaging to leave. This past weekend, one protester pulled bear mace on the counterprotesters defending the bar. [KOIN / City Cast Portland 🎧] | |  | The newest trainsets for Amtrak Cascades are coming Sept. 30 to current routes. (Amtrak) |
| Ride the Rails In Style | Amtrak’s new Airo trains are rolling out in the Pacific Northwest, starting Sept. 30 and replacing daily trips from Eugene to Vancouver B.C. While they won’t create faster service, the 300-passenger Airo trainsets have more seats and other amenities including bigger windows, reading lights, and improved onboard Wi-Fi. [Oregonian 🔒 / Amtrak Cascades] |
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Find my butterfly? For the first time, the migration of monarch butterflies from Portland is being monitored in real time. Researchers asked the public to adopt and name monarchs to help pay for the $200 digital trackers. Portlandia and King Felix are among the butterflies you can now follow through the Project Monarch app 🦋 |
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