Benefits Beyond Connectivity

The data center industry contributes significantly to Oregon’s economic base, generating over $10.4 billion in total GDP impact. This economic activity stems from $3.5 billion in annual operational expenditures that flow to Oregon businesses, utilities, and service providers, along with $768 million in capital investments that fund facility construction and infrastructure upgrades. These expenditures create sustained demand for local suppliers and contractors, strengthening business networks across urban and rural communities alike. The industry’s presence diversifies Oregon’s economic foundation while providing stable, high-value employment that helps communities prosper.

The industry’s fiscal contribution provides substantial support for public services across Oregon. With over $1 billion in annual state and local tax revenue, data centers represent a major funding source for essential community services. To put this in perspective, the industry’s tax contribution of $727 million in 2022 (excluding cross-state effects) was sufficient to fund all public library facilities and services statewide, plus nearly two-thirds of all expenditures for airport construction, maintenance, and operations. This revenue supports education, public safety, transportation infrastructure, and community programs that benefit all residents.

Source: PwC, “Economic Contributions of Data Centers in the United States, 2017–2023,” prepared for the Data Center Coalition, February 2025.

Oregon’s data center industry generates substantial employment opportunities that extend well beyond the facilities themselves. While the sector directly employs 9,300 workers, it supports a total of 65,530 jobs across the state when accounting for indirect and induced economic activity. This multiplier effect means each direct data center position supports approximately six additional jobs throughout Oregon’s economy—spanning construction, maintenance, professional services, and supporting industries. The industry’s operational workforce of 32,550 represents stable, long-term career opportunities in a technology sector that continues to expand.

The quality of these employment opportunities is reflected in the industry’s $5.6 billion annual contribution to labor income statewide. These wages support middle-class households and circulate through local economies as workers spend on housing, retail, and services. Capital spending growth of 19% signals ongoing investment in infrastructure development, creating additional construction employment and demonstrating industry confidence in Oregon’s business environment.

Source: PwC, “Economic Contributions of Data Centers in the United States, 2017–2023,” prepared for the Data Center Coalition, February 2025.

Data centers are critical infrastructure enabling America’s technological and environmental future.

As the United States advances toward a clean energy economy, the nation is embracing transformative technologies—electric vehicles, efficient heat pumps, smart appliances, and renewable energy systems—all of which depend on the robust digital infrastructure that data centers provide. This infrastructure is not merely supportive; it is foundational to our economic transformation.

Data centers power the digitization of every sector of our economy, from healthcare and education to manufacturing and agriculture. They enable the widespread electrification of vehicles and buildings, reducing our carbon footprint while improving efficiency. They support the reshoring of advanced manufacturing, bringing jobs and production capacity back to American soil. They make possible the growth of controlled environment agriculture, which uses precision technology to produce food more sustainably. And they provide the computational backbone for artificial intelligence, clean energy grid management, and the countless innovations that will define 21st century economic competitiveness.

Keeping data centers on American soil is critical to our national security. In addition to securing our sensitive information in the United States, data centers also provide the digital infrastructure that ensures U.S. competitiveness in artificial intelligence and other cutting edge technologies that are essential to our economic competitiveness and national security.

Data centers are highly energy-efficient facilities that help enable energy savings for homes and businesses. The industry prioritizes reducing energy use and increasing efficiency and facilities are designed to optimize efficiencies from day one.

In fact, while data center computing workloads increased nearly 550 percent between 2010 and 2018, electricity consumption grew only six percent, due to efficiencies from the cloud migration, improvements in cooling systems, and other operational and technological efficiency gains at modern data centers.

Source: Data Center Knowledge, “Study Data Centers Responsible for 1 Percent of ALl Electricity Consumed Worldwide”, February 2020.

Data centers are some of the largest buyers of clean energy, contributing to our collective sustainability goals. The data center industry has accelerated the economy-wide transition to clean energy and has created demand for more clean energy in the regions where they operate.

Data centers accelerate the clean energy transition in the U.S. with commitments to purchase clean energy and by funding the development of new sources of clean energy. In fact, wind and solar capacity contracted to data center providers and customers represented two-thirds of the total U.S. corporate renewables market last year and four of the top five purchasers of renewable energy in the U.S. are companies that operate data centers. Many data center companies have committed to being carbon neutral and supporting their operations with 100% clean energy by 2030.

The impact of data centers extends far beyond their physical infrastructure. These facilities create high-quality jobs with competitive wages, generating substantial tax revenue that supports local schools, emergency services, and community programs. They partner with local businesses during development to service providers for ongoing operations which strengthens the regional economy. Data centers also invest in community initiatives, supporting workforce development programs, educational partnerships with local schools and colleges, and infrastructure improvements that benefit all residents.

Through their commitment to sustainability, they drive innovation in renewable energy adoption and water conservation, setting new standards for responsible operations. By choosing to locate in Oregon, data centers demonstrate a long-term commitment to being good neighbors—contributing to the economic vitality, educational opportunities, and quality of life that make Oregon communities thrive.

Data center operators, their employees, and their tenants are committed to giving back to the communities where their teams live and work.

Many data center owners and operators have developed programs within their communities to support academic achievement, grow the data center workforce, and strengthen digital and energy infrastructure. Companies that own, operate, and manage data centers also financially contribute to non-profits that support the local community, contribute time and talent, and engage in community service.

Data centers also benefit local schools and educational institutions in their communities by supporting STEM education in K-12 schools, funding internships and scholarships, and contributing to new fields of higher education.