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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Since You Asked: Pedestrians can be cited for carelessness ... Wolf once believed to be dead shows up near Crater Lake ... One of Oregon's two health insurance co-ops says it will shut down ... Since You Asked: Pedestrians can be cited for carelessness ... Wolf once believed to be dead shows up near Crater Lake ... One of Oregon's two health insurance co-ops says it will shut down ... THE DALLES Google to possibly expand data center in The Dalles The Associated Press Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 28, 2015 at 4:06 PM Posted Jul. 28, 2015 at 4:06 PM » Social News PORTLAND — Google is eying 23 acres of land for a potential expansion of its large data facility in The Dalles. A proposal submitted by the company indicates that Google is considering a new facility at the Port of The Dalles, about a mile from its existing data centers, the Oregonian reported. That location would be exempt from most local property taxes under an agreement with the city and Wasco County, said Dalles city manager Nolan Young. "Although there are a lot of factors to work out before making a final decision, we're excited about exploring the possibility of expanding our operations," said Darcy Nothnagle, Google's head of external affairs for its western region. Google built its first data center in the Columbia River Gorge town in 2006 and opened a $6 million expansion in April. Google's existing tax deal required the company to pay $1.2 million in 2013 and $800,000 more annually, starting next year. The new plan would have an up-front payment of $1.7 million and at least $1 million annually. It requires approval from the city and the county and a go-ahead from Google. Google would pay an additional $250,000 to the port and pay its employees an average of more than 150 percent of the county's annual wage. The value of Google's tax savings will depend on the size of its investment. The expansion proposal comes at a time when server farms are multiplying around the country. Google announced last month that it is planning a data center on the site of a former coal-fired power plant in Alabama. Oregon's lack of sales tax and lucrative property tax breaks have made it an attractive site for large data centers. Companies can save several million dollars each year because they don't have to pay taxes on the hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of computers that run the server farms. When a state Supreme Court ruling threatened some of those tax savings last year, Oregon lawmakers voted to reinstate them. The measure had overwhelming bipartisan support, passing 28-2 in the Senate and 52-2 in the House. Amazon has multiple buildings in Morrow County, and Apple and Facebook both have large server farms in Prineville. Officials say Amazon and Apple are considering expanding their Oregon sites as well. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 28, 2015 at 4:06 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501