Data Centers Pay Back Their Communities | Portland News

Congresswoman Andrea Salinas just dropped a bold new bill to make tech giants pay back their communities: the Data Center Community Reinvestment Act. It taxes electricity used by massive AI-fueled data centers at one cent per kilowatt-hour, funneling revenue into five key federal programs — from cleaning up toxic waste sites to repairing roads and boosting clean energy infrastructure. As these power-hungry “hyperscale” facilities multiply across the country, the bill aims to ensure towns don’t just host them but benefit from them. Meanwhile, Oregon’s Governor Tina Kotek is taking her own approach, forming a special committee to weigh economic gains against environmental costs — even proposing temporary pauses on new data center projects until recommendations are made. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/43919bde110a6eb6