AGP Executive Report

Data Center Policy: Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has paused environmental permits for new or expanded data centers until 2027, putting projects on hold as the state weighs the industry’s growth and impacts. Clean Energy: Tualatin has completed a 56-kilowatt hydropower system inside its drinking-water network, adding renewable power without a conventional dam. Agriculture: Oregon lawmakers are urging USDA support for the hazelnut industry, while growers face pest risks from abandoned orchards; a new Blue Mountain mill is also opening with a boost for local agriculture. Manufacturing: Gerber Gear has moved to a new Wilsonville facility, doubling down on Oregon production.

Health Care Construction: PeaceHealth’s proposed 89-bed Timber Springs behavioral health hospital in Springfield cleared a state approval hurdle, though annexation approval is still needed before construction. Clean Energy: Tualatin has completed a 56-kilowatt hydropower system in its drinking-water network, billed as Oregon’s first in-pipe project. Agriculture: The Pacific Northwest secured $10 million in USDA specialty-crop grants as Oregon lawmakers seek federal help for the struggling hazelnut industry. Jobs and Manufacturing: Oregon job growth has stalled as manufacturing and retail employment shrink; Wilsonville-based Gerber Gear, meanwhile, has moved into a new facility that doubles its manufacturing footprint. Data Centers: Gov. Tina Kotek has paused environmental permits for data center construction and expansion until 2027, putting proposed projects on hold. Skilled Trades: About 500 students attended Oregon’s ABC Craft Championships, which paired career exposure with apprentice competitions in HVAC and sheet metal work.

Agriculture: Abandoned orchards are worsening pest pressure on neighboring Gorge growers, who say the cost of removing neglected trees is out of reach. Oregon’s congressional delegation is also asking the USDA to include hazelnuts in a federal purchasing program to steady the industry amid market disruption. Jobs & Manufacturing: Oregon job growth stalled as manufacturing and retail employment shrank, while construction posted stronger growth. Business Climate: An Oregon Entrepreneurs Network guest column urges the next governor to strengthen support for startups and small businesses, including through tax and economic-development changes. Regional Investment: Lane Community College secured a $120 million bond for an earthquake-ready building, and Blue Mountain Mill has opened on tribal land, adding capacity to serve regional agriculture.

Jobs & Industry: Oregon’s unemployment rate held at 5% in September as payrolls added 5,800 jobs, but manufacturing and retail shrank while construction posted gains. Manufacturing & Food Processing: Gerber Gear is moving into a new Wilsonville facility, and Cairnspring Mills is launching a second Oregon mill on tribal land. Pastime Coffee has also opened a Portland production roastery. Construction & Safety: Oregon OSHA fined Beaverton-based Luka’s General Construction $317,587 for repeated violations, including failing to secure roof workers against falls. Energy & Infrastructure: Oregon has paused environmental permits for new or expanded data centers, while an Ameresco project now supplies all the energy needs of Roseburg’s wastewater site. Lane Community College’s $120 million bond is also funding a seismically upgraded public-safety building, expected to be completed in spring 2027.

Manufacturing: Gerber Gear has moved into a new, state-of-the-art Wilsonville facility, marking an investment in its Oregon operations. Jobs: Oregon added 5,800 jobs in September as unemployment held at 5%; construction led growth. Data Centers: Gov. Tina Kotek ordered a pause on environmental permits for new or expanding data centers, extending a debate over the industry’s growth and impacts. Agriculture and Milling: Cairnspring opened its Blue Mountain Mill on tribal land in Oregon, adding local grain-processing capacity. Clean Energy: A completed Ameresco solar-and-storage project now meets all the energy needs of Roseburg’s wastewater facility.

Data Center Development: Gov. Tina Kotek has paused environmental permits for new or expanding data centers until 2027, putting a brake on projects seeking to build in Oregon. Jobs and Construction: Oregon added 5,800 jobs in September, and construction posted its strongest month since spring; the sector has added 3,600 jobs since March. Clean Energy: Roseburg’s wastewater utility and Ameresco completed a solar-and-storage project designed to meet the site’s full energy needs and keep operations running during outages. PGE is also advancing transmission-line replacement along Portland’s Springwater Corridor. Manufacturing and Food Production: Gerber Gear is moving to a new facility in Wilsonville, while Cairnspring Mills plans to open a second mill in Oregon. Housing: State housing funds are supporting more than 500 homes across Oregon.

Wastewater Energy: Roseburg Urban Sanitary Authority and Ameresco completed a $1 million solar-and-battery project expected to cover all electricity use at RUSA’s main office and keep key operations running during outages. Manufacturing: A 1.2-million-square-foot former semiconductor campus in Eugene is on the market, creating uncertainty around a major site pitched for high-tech production. Data Centers: Gov. Tina Kotek ordered Oregon to pause environmental permits for data center construction and expansion until 2027, as concerns grow over the projects’ long-term local impacts. Food Production: Cairnspring Mills is opening a second mill in Pendleton. At full capacity, it will raise annual output to more than 115 million pounds, create over 22 local jobs and expand wheat purchases from Northwest farmers. Oregon Manufacturing: Gerber Gear has moved to a new Wilsonville facility, doubling down on production in the state.

Data Centers: Gov. Tina Kotek has ordered Oregon regulators to pause air and water permits for new or expanding data centers until July 1, 2027, giving her time to review policy options. Amazon warned the move could put thousands of jobs and billions in planned investment at risk. Food and Beverage: Portland’s Migration Brewing plans to open a 3,000-square-foot Slabtown pub next spring, adding a pizza kitchen to its growing operation. Oregon Manufacturing: Gerber Gear has moved to a new Wilsonville facility, doubling down on production in the state. Mass Timber Research: An OSU fire-testing facility nearing completion will let researchers study fire impacts on mass-timber buildings and forests without traveling out of state. Water Quality: DEQ will seek public input Oct. 29 on how to spend just over $1 million in federal funds to address groundwater concerns near a Crook County mine. Testing found varying manganese and arsenic levels in nearby wells, but no single source has been identified.

Freight and Fuel: Truckload rates climbed in September as national diesel prices topped $6 a gallon, even with freight volumes below year-earlier levels — a cost squeeze for carriers serving Oregon. Oregon Manufacturing: Gerber Gear has moved into a new Wilsonville facility, doubling down on production in the state. Food Technology: An Oregon State University sensor shows promise for faster, lower-cost food-quality testing. Mass Timber: Portland’s 2027 International Mass Timber Conference will bring developers and investors together, while a Skanska-led team secured a federal grant to study insurance hurdles for taller mass-timber buildings. Infrastructure and Construction: Two Oregon state-backed rail projects costing more than $70 million remain mostly idle; meanwhile, reports say UO construction costs are outpacing other West Coast cities. Energy: Oregon ranked sixth among states for energy efficiency in WalletHub’s 2026 assessment.

Oregon Manufacturing: Gerber Gear is moving from Tigard to an 80,000-square-foot Wilsonville facility, bringing design, engineering and production together and expanding capacity. Food Technology: Oregon State researchers developed a low-cost sensor that could help food and beverage makers test product quality faster without specialized lab equipment. Workforce Development: Heart of Oregon Corps opened a Redmond campus designed to serve more than 200 young people a year with trade training, certifications and career support. A Jackson County job fair is also bringing nearly 50 employers from sectors including health care, construction and transportation together for local job seekers. Infrastructure: Two state-backed Oregon rail projects costing more than $70 million remain mostly idle, raising questions about the return on public investment.

Biomanufacturing: Genentech has broken ground on a $750 million Hillsboro expansion that will double its facility’s size and add about 250 manufacturing jobs, with operations planned for 2031. Transportation: Two Oregon state-backed rail projects costing more than $70 million remain mostly idle, raising questions about returns on public investment in freight infrastructure. Technology: Hillsboro is moving to restrict land for data centers, as demand for computing space collides with local land-use decisions. Food and Retail: Oregon bakery brand Ocemiam opened its first permanent kiosk at Washington Square in Tigard, joining more than 30 Portland-area grocery stores carrying its products. Energy: Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden joined six senators urging President Trump to reverse a Russian diesel deal they say conflicts with federal law, amid high fuel costs.

Port Operations: The Port of Astoria approved a 25-year, $1.8 million Business Oregon loan toward a $2.1 million cleanup after a fuel line leaked oil and oily water into the slipway between Piers 2 and 3. Mining and Land Use: A proposed lithium mine near McDermitt has raised concerns about impacts to sage-grouse habitat, as the bird’s population and sagebrush range continue to shrink. Transportation: Two state-backed rail projects costing more than $70 million remain mostly idle, while major I-5 projects in the Portland metro area move ahead. Technology Infrastructure: Hillsboro is moving to restrict land for data centers, amid growing debate over their local impacts. Agriculture and Small Business: Oregon’s pear crop is forecast to be among the smallest in more than 50 years, while Sisters’ harvest fair drew more than 10,000 visitors and 180 vendors, providing a boost to local artists, shops and restaurants.

Aviation & Tourism: Tillamook’s storm-damaged Hangar B, home to the Tillamook Air Museum, is set to reopen Oct. 29 after a nonprofit bought it for $1 and began restoring the exhibits. Road Construction: ODOT will sample soil in downtown Pendleton Oct. 12–15 ahead of ADA curb-ramp construction; brief lane, parking and sidewalk restrictions are expected. Clean Energy: Oregon State University researchers developed a light-responsive porous crystal that produces hydrogen from water without an added metal catalyst, a potential path to lower-cost fuel. Freight: Northwest truckload tender rejections reached 20.27% on Oct. 8, the highest of any U.S. region. Reefer rejections averaged 41% as fall apple and potato harvests tightened capacity. Rail: Two Oregon state-backed rail projects have cost more than $70 million but remain mostly idle, raising questions about use of public investment. Agriculture: Another record Oregon hazelnut crop is expected.

Clean Energy Research: Oregon State University researchers developed a porous crystal that uses sunlight to split water and produce hydrogen without an added costly metal catalyst, a potential route to cheaper clean fuel. Health Insurance: Oregon regulators approved an average 21.6% increase in individual marketplace premiums for 2027, more than double last year’s rise; small-group plans will increase 15.5%. Housing Construction: Oregon’s housing agency funded affordable apartments at an average hard-construction cost of $318 per square foot last year—31% above its benchmark, limiting how many homes its budget can deliver. Transportation Infrastructure: Two state-backed rail projects costing more than $70 million remain mostly idle, raising questions about the return on Oregon’s investment. Agriculture: Oregon is on track for another record hazelnut crop, while the state’s grape harvest is underway amid declining wine sales.

Coastal Land: The Siletz Tribe is poised to reclaim nearly seven acres near Yachats, restoring stewardship of ancestral territory after the land was taken from its reservation in the 1800s. Freight & Farming: Two state-backed rail shipping centers costing more than $70 million remain mostly idle, leaving promised savings for farmers and lower truck emissions unrealized. Business Relief: Oregon businesses affected by wildfires and drought can seek up to $2 million in federal disaster loans. Health Costs: State regulators approved 2027 insurance rate hikes averaging 21.6% for individual marketplace plans and 15.5% for small-group coverage. Technology & Jobs: Oregon manufacturers led the state’s 2025 H-1B filings, with 470 petitions and a 98.9% approval rate; Intel and Applied Materials are also collaborating on advanced chip integration.

Transportation: Two Oregon-backed rail shipping centers costing more than $70 million remain mostly idle, with one unfinished and the other dormant. Separately, I-5 megaprojects are advancing: the Interstate Bridge Replacement has $5.69 billion in committed funding, and another $21 million is approved for Portland’s Rose Quarter work. Tourism: Tillamook Air Museum plans to reopen Oct. 29 after a Utah nonprofit bought its historic WWII blimp hangar for $1 and took on repairs. Outdoor Industry: The Outdoor Industry Association will bring sustainability leaders to Portland on Oct. 26 for its Catalyst Conference. Bend-based BlackStrap is also charting a new course, refocusing on winter accessories under new leadership. Housing: A new Klamath Falls sewer lift station will serve proposed housing projects with nearly 100 apartments and about 30 medium-density homes. Agriculture and Wine: Oregon’s grape harvest is underway as wine sales fall, while the state’s pear crop is forecast to be among the smallest in more than 50 years.