Eastern Oregon Grants Amazon $1 Billion in Tax Breaks for New Data Centers

Leases & LoansMoney Matters
Written By Jennifer Joslyn

Amazon has been granted tax breaks worth an estimated $1 billion by officials in a remote county in northeastern Oregon to establish five new data centers. The unanimous vote by the Port of Morrow's commissioners marked the final step in securing the enterprise zone incentives, aimed at attracting approximately $12 billion in Amazon's investments to the region. However, concerns have been raised regarding the transparency and fairness of the company's previous tax incentives, as investigations are underway to examine potential conflicts of interest among officials involved in awarding the tax breaks.

Amazon already operates four large data centers in Morrow County, contributing significantly to property tax revenue. While the tax breaks have been a subject of debate, local officials view Amazon's presence as a diversification of the economy and a means to offset the region's dependence on natural resources following the closure of a sawmill and coal plant. The growing data center industry, fueled in part by substantial tax breaks, has prompted discussions among Oregon lawmakers about reforming the enterprise zone program, potentially implementing limitations on incentives, and requiring public notice before voting on deals.

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Jennifer Joslyn
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