Where the data-center and battery-storage question stands
Since my July update, the direction on data centers and battery storage has changed in important ways. I want to lay out plainly where things stand after the August 24, 2026 City Council meeting.
I have withdrawn my support for the overlay
On August 5, after informal (non-scientific) online polls showed strong opposition, roughly 85% opposed, and after consistent feedback from residents in person, I withdrew my support for the proposed TAI overlay as it applies to data centers and battery storage. At the August 10 meeting I said plainly that I do not believe the City should move forward with the overlay for those uses.
What I heard from many residents was not simply that a facility would need to be quiet, safe, or financially beneficial. Many told me they do not want this kind of development in Linn Valley’s future at all. I heard that.
The Silverton battery-storage inquiry is closed
The battery-storage inquiry I described in An inquiry about a battery storage project on City land and my July recap is over. On August 14, I told Silverton Power the City was not interested in moving forward; the financial terms were not sufficient, and the company did not offer better ones. There is no battery-storage project pending.
The Council voted to continue research only
At the August 24 meeting, the Council voted 4 to 1 to continue researching the subject and to refer it to the Planning & Zoning Commission. That vote does not approve anything. It keeps us studying the question so that, if the City ever has to make a decision, it does so with facts in hand.
What has not happened
To be clear about the things that are sometimes stated online as if they were true:
- No data-center application has ever been submitted to Linn Valley.
- No project has been approved.
- No annexation agreement has been signed and no land has been rezoned.
- Nothing is being built.
Why keep researching if I withdrew support?
A fair question. The short answer: doing nothing is not the same as protection. If the City has no rules of its own, the County could still permit a data center on nearby land, and Linn Valley would get the impacts without any local safeguards or revenue. On top of that, a number of residents who oppose a project have still asked me to keep learning so the community understands its options. Researching a subject is due diligence. It is not a decision to pursue it.
For where I think the City goes from here, see The direction from here. As always, if you have a question or think I have a fact wrong, tell me.