This spring, Oregon PSR is teaming up with Central Oregon LandWatch, Oregon Rural Action, Oregon Agricultural Trust, Oregon Democrats Environmental Caucus, and Tualatin Riverkeepers on a series of webinars exploring the myriad issues surrounding data center proliferation.
First up: Data Centers in Oregon: Water, Wetlands, and the Path Forward
Join this webinar for background on the history and scope of data centers in Oregon, to learn about data centers’ impacts on water and wetlands, and to explore possible policy solutions. Speakers: Kaleb Lay, Oregon Rural Action; Ben Gordon, Central Oregon LandWatch; Kelsey Shaw Nakama, Tualatin Riverkeepers
📅Date: April 22
🕒Time: 6- 7:30 pm
Subsequent webinars will cover the economic loss of revenue due to property tax exemptions, large increases in electricity demand and rising rates, impact on renewable electricity standards, air pollution from diesel backup generators and new fossil fuel generation, appropriate siting to avoid farmland loss, and more.
Speaker bios (in alphabetical order):
Ben Gordon // Executive Director, Central Oregon LandWatch
Ben Gordon (he/him) has led Central Oregon LandWatch since 2020, providing vision and strategic leadership as the organization has evolved to meet the demands of a fast-growing region. Prior to joining LandWatch, Ben has held roles throughout Oregon’s environmental non-profit ecosystem. He taught forest ecology for the Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center, served as a community organizer for the Oregon League of Conservation Voters and 1000 Friends of Oregon, then as Program Director for the Oregon Natural Desert Association.
Kaleb Lay // Director of Policy & Research, Oregon Rural Action
Kaleb Lay is Director of Policy & Research with Oregon Rural Action, a grassroots organizing group in northeast Oregon. He is a leading expert in pollution and water issues in the Lower Umatilla Basin, which is one of the worst sacrifice zones in the state and Oregon's fastest-growing data center hub. Kaleb is also a fifth-generation east Oregonian with a passion for environmental justice, especially for rural communities.
Kelsey Shaw Nakama // Policy & Advocacy Director, Tualatin Riverkeepers
Kelsey grew up in Seattle, spending countless days at local parks and beaches along the Puget Sound and Lake Washington. Those days tromping through woods and peeking in tidepools nurtured her curiosity and motivated her interest in protecting natural spaces. Since moving to Oregon in 2010, she has continued to explore the Pacific Northwest’s forests, mountains, and rivers—adventures that eventually led her to Lewis & Clark Law School, where she earned her J.D. with a certificate in Environmental and Natural Resource Law. As the Policy & Advocacy Director at Tualatin Riverkeepers, Kelsey particularly enjoys creating new environmental advocates through meaningful outdoor recreation and restoration experiences that inspire lasting connections to nature.