A 300-mile transmission line once billed as serving Oregon’s public power needs may now deliver energy to a private data center—raising questions about who really benefits from the state’s largest energy projects. (Oregon Live)
The shift: PacifiCorp, co-owner of the $1.7B Boardman-to-Hemingway line, plans to sell its share of the power to a single industrial customer, likely a data center, rather than its 805K retail customers.
Why it matters: The dispute highlights growing tension between Oregon’s clean energy goals and the rapid expansion of data centers—which are driving up demand for power and transmission while testing the limits of public trust and transparency.