Salem AI data center project paused after public outcry

The city of Salem, Oregon, has paused a $5.1 billion AI data center project for a year. The plan by Verrus would have built three data center buildings and a substation on 75 acres. At a public meeting on July 27, locals protested strongly, some even showing a guillotine. The meeting lasted over six hours and got out of hand. Verrus reps were surrounded and yelled at, needing police help to leave. Salem then halted all data center development to reassess the impact.