On October 6 at noon, ESF hosted Dr, Catherine Thomasson, lobby coordinator of MCAT – Mobilizing Climate Action Together. She spoke to us via Zoom about MCAT’s position on Data Centers in Oregon.
Speaker: Dr. Catherine Thomasson
Dr. Catherine Thomasson is active in state climate policy as the lobby coordinator of MCAT- Mobilizing Climate Action Together. She served as executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility inWashington, D.C. from 2012 to 2017 and has worked on policy to address health impacts of climate change and toxins for over twenty years. She is a retired internal medicine physician.
Presentation: Why Advocate for a Data Center Moratorium?
People are not necessarily aware of the immensity of data centers in Oregon drawn by our international fiberoptics cables, mild climate and generous tax incentives. Data centers are using nearly 25% of electricity consumed in the state (2025) and expect to continue to expand.
What is the impact on the grid and our climate emission targets? Are land use laws capable of restricting growth if desired locally? Can water use be reduced, or if switched to closed-loop systems do they introduce more chemicals into the environment?
Catherine Thomasson presented some of the legislative options to address concerns about data centers and why a moratorium may be needed.