AI Data Centers in Oregon: Every Facility Tracked (2026)

Oregon is home to two major operational artificial intelligence (AI) data center campuses, accounting for a combined 1,150 megawatts (MW) of tracked electrical capacity. Ban the Bots' data center map tracks hyperscale and AI infrastructure across the Pacific Northwest, where early investments established rural hubs in Crook County and Morrow County. This 1,150 MW footprint places Oregon well below major infrastructure states such as Virginia with its tracked 8,300+ MW capacity, Wisconsin at roughly 5,320 MW, and Texas with over 4,500 MW.

• Which Companies Operate AI Data Centers in Oregon?
• Why Oregon Attracted Early Hyperscale Infrastructure
• Water, Drought, and Community Concerns
• Oregon AI Data Center Facilities, One by One
• FAQ: AI Data Centers in Oregon
• Tracking Oregon's AI Data Center Footprint

Which Companies Operate AI Data Centers in Oregon?

Two technology companies operate the tracked hyperscale data center facilities in Oregon: Meta and Amazon Web Services (AWS). Meta established its presence in central Oregon, while Amazon Web Services concentrated its footprint along the Columbia River in eastern Oregon. Both campuses function as primary operational centers for the computing clusters that support large-scale machine learning workloads and cloud services.

Meta operates a dedicated 350 MW campus in Prineville, located in Crook County. Amazon Web Services operates an 800 MW cluster in Boardman, located within Morrow County. Rather than building across multiple urban zones, both operators chose dedicated campuses in rural communities with direct proximity to utility infrastructure and high-voltage grid connections. This tracker focuses on these large-scale facilities, tracking aggregate operational capacity, primary utility sources, and environmental inputs.

Readers searching for Crook County hyperscale data center permit activity should note that Ban the Bots monitors operational status, tracked capacity, and cooling inputs at the facility level rather than local planning commission dockets. Public filings and permit records for individual building phases are handled directly by Crook County planning authorities and municipal utilities. Meta publishes regional operational summaries on its Prineville sustainability page, while Amazon Web Services outlines infrastructure zones on its global infrastructure directory.

Why Oregon Attracted Early Hyperscale Infrastructure

Oregon became an early hub for hyperscale computing because of access to low-cost hydroelectric power and direct water supplies from the Columbia River basin. When technology operators began moving away from leased suburban enterprise space in 2010, eastern and central Oregon offered specific physical conditions required for sustained server operations. These locations combined open acreage with infrastructure built around major river systems.

Amazon Web Services selected Boardman in Morrow County due to its immediate proximity to cheap hydroelectric generation along the Columbia River. Running high-density server racks requires steady electrical supplies, and regional hydroelectric dams provided low-emission base power at favorable utility rates. Boardman also offered direct pumping access to Columbia River surface water, which permitted direct evaporative cooling designs for large server arrays.

Meta selected Prineville in February 2010 to build its first company-owned data center facility. Before the Prineville development, the company relied on leased commercial facilities in third-party server buildings. Prineville offered cold high-desert nighttime air for economizer cooling systems, available agricultural acreage, and utility tie-ins. The initial buildout transformed the former timber community into an established center for dedicated corporate compute facilities.

Water, Drought, and Community Concerns

Cooling high-density server arrays requires millions of gallons of water, creating continuous friction in regions that experience chronic agricultural drought. Both tracked facilities in Oregon operate in climates where water allocations are closely contested by farmers, municipalities, and environmental authorities.

In Crook County, the Meta Prineville Data Center draws its cooling water from the Ochoco Irrigation District and local groundwater aquifers. Prineville sits in a high-desert basin where groundwater levels fluctuate and surface reservoirs routinely fall below average storage during summer months. Local residents and regional agricultural producers have repeatedly questioned the long-term sustainability of routing municipal water and irrigation supplies into industrial evaporative chillers. Diverting groundwater to cool server halls permanently removes moisture from the local hydrological cycle through atmospheric evaporation.

In Morrow County, the Amazon Web Services Oregon Region campus in Boardman relies on surface withdrawals directly from the Columbia River. The Columbia River supports irrigated agriculture, commercial shipping, municipal water utilities, and native salmon runs. During periods of low river flow and drought, industrial withdrawals by large enterprise campuses attract scrutiny from local communities and environmental monitors. When server loads spike during peak summer temperatures, cooling demand peaks exactly when agricultural demand and ecological river preservation needs are at their highest point.

To evaluate how these water draws compare against cooling systems nationwide, readers can consult Ban the Bots' guide on AI data center environmental impact or calculate specific workload cooling estimates with the AI water use calculator.

Oregon AI Data Center Facilities, One by One

• Meta Prineville Data Center (Prineville, Crook County; operating): Meta's first custom-built, company-owned data center campus, originally announced in February 2010. The facility operates at 350 MW of tracked electrical capacity. Cooling systems draw from local groundwater aquifers and the Ochoco Irrigation District. The campus operates in a drought-stressed high-desert basin, where municipal and agricultural water usage remains a central subject of regional public discussion. Operational data is documented on Meta's Prineville sustainability page.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) Oregon Region (Boardman, Morrow County; operating): a dedicated hyperscale computing campus announced in March 2011, operating at 800 MW of tracked capacity. The site was selected for its direct access to cheap regional hydroelectric power and cooling water pumped from the Columbia River. The facility has drawn criticism from local stakeholders regarding large-volume water consumption during recurring Pacific Northwest drought cycles. Detailed infrastructure maps are documented on the AWS global infrastructure page.

Current facility locations, utility footprints, and status updates are tracked continuously on the interactive data center map.

FAQ: AI Data Centers in Oregon

How many AI data centers are in Oregon?

Ban the Bots tracks two major operational AI data center facilities in Oregon as of 2026: the Meta Prineville campus and the Amazon Web Services Oregon Region in Boardman. Together, these two campuses represent 1,150 megawatts of tracked electrical capacity.

Where are Oregon's AI data centers located?

Oregon's tracked AI data centers are located in rural eastern and central counties. Meta operates its campus in Prineville within Crook County. Amazon Web Services operates its regional campus in Boardman within Morrow County along the Columbia River.

What is Meta's Prineville data center?

The Meta Prineville Data Center is Meta's first company-owned data center campus, originally announced in February 2010. Located in Crook County, the facility operates at 350 megawatts of capacity and draws cooling water from local groundwater supplies and the Ochoco Irrigation District.

Do Oregon's AI data centers use a lot of water?

Yes. Both tracked campuses consume significant volumes of water for facility cooling. Meta's Prineville site draws from groundwater and the Ochoco Irrigation District in a drought-prone high-desert area, while Amazon Web Services draws cooling water from the Columbia River in Boardman, drawing criticism during regional drought years.

Tracking Oregon's AI Data Center Footprint

Oregon's 1,150 megawatts of tracked capacity demonstrate how early access to the Columbia River and regional hydro power established long-standing rural server hubs. To explore how other Western and Midwestern power grids handle intensive compute loads, visit the national data center map or compare facilities in Wisconsin.