Sabey Umatilla data center, Umatilla, Oregon

Sabey Data Centers is building a 714,540-square-foot campus on Wanapa Road in Umatilla, Umatilla County, Oregon, designed to draw more than 150 megawatts of power. The company marked the site's steel-raising with a ceremony on July 15, 2026, and the first of its two data halls is due online in April 2028.

Sabey picked Umatilla for the Columbia River corridor's hydroelectric power and its cluster of data centers already operating or under development across 10 campuses in neighboring Morrow County, mostly around Boardman. Sabey president Tim Mirick said, "We believe Umatilla is a perfect spot." Executive director John Sabey acknowledged what he called anxiety about AI, saying "that anxiety is manifesting itself in a little bit of pushback toward data centers."

Critics have focused on water use. Sabey says its closed-loop cooling system recirculates sealed liquid rather than losing water to evaporative cooling towers, and uses significantly less water than companies such as Amazon. Umatilla City Manager Dave Stockdale said, "There really isn't a lot of water impact compared to farming or golf courses." In March 2026 Amazon agreed to pay $20.5 million to settle a lawsuit over nitrate-contaminated well water tied partly to data center wastewater spread on farm fields in neighboring Morrow County.

State Rep. Bobby Levy, who attended the ceremony, said, "Investments like this create momentum." Stockdale said the project should draw related businesses such as fiber optics and pipefitting firms to Umatilla. The next milestone is the first data hall, due to open in April 2028.