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Google touts $1.8 billion investment in The Dalles data center Posted Apr 23, 2018 at 12:15 PM Updated Apr 23, 2018 at 12:15 PM PORTLAND (AP) — Google has issued a report highlighting the economic contributions of its six U.S. data centers, including its original facility in The Dalles. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the Silicon Valley company said Monday it has invested $10.5 billion building data centers across the country since 2006, when it opened its Oregon location along the Columbia River. The company was the first of several large data hosting companies to capitalize on Oregon's relatively low power costs and uniquely advantageous tax structure. Google opened its third data center in The Dalles in February and now employs 200 there, according to the report. It has invested $1.8 billion altogether, mostly to buy thousands of pricey servers to host Gmail, photos, movies and untold terabytes of corporate data. Oregon's big draw for data centers is the absence of a state sales tax, which saves companies hundreds of millions of dollars on those servers, and a property tax exemption under Oregon's enterprise zone program that's worth even more. Apple, Facebook and Amazon all enjoy similar benefits in other parts of central and eastern Oregon. Wasco County estimates Google's property tax breaks were worth just shy of $140 million to Google since 2006. While Google's 200 local jobs don't amount to much on a statewide level, Oregon data centers do have a significant impact in the small communities where they operate. Wasco County has about 10,640 jobs altogether, according to the Oregon Employment Department. And data centers' considerable electricity use - they often consume as much energy as entire small towns - generate local franchise fees that boost public budgets. The Dalles says it received about $937,000 in electricity franchise fee revenue last year. Based on growth since Google opened its first data center, the company may be responsible for about half that -- or about 7 percent of The Dalles' total general fund revenue. Most Popular Makerspace coming to Central Point Apr 18 at 11:27 AM Police: Cat killed during fight between couple Apr 19 at 6:36 PM Medford gun supporters prepare for ballot showdown Apr 21 at 5:04 PM A long view of home Apr 19 at 6:56 PM Ashland magician Harry Anderson went on to TV success Apr 18 at 5:42 PM Letters to the Editor, April 21 Apr 23 at 7:31 AM Woman charged in $7,000 Victoria's Secret underwear theft Apr 20 at 4:58 PM Medford School District proposes 33 new positions Apr 19 at 7:18 AM Man sentenced for raping, assaulting wife Apr 20 at 7:14 AM Roller Derby benefits kids battling cancer Apr 20 at 5:32 PM Since You Asked: Abandoned house has been an eyesore for years Apr 18 at 2:01 AM Data breach or 'bogeyman'? Apr 23 at 7:32 AM © Copyright 2006-2018 Rosebud Media LLC. All rights reserved. Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com ~ P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501