Apple has confirmed to NewsChannel 21 (http://www.ktvz.com/news/30511354/detail.html) in Oregon that it plans to build a data center at a 160-acre parcel in Prineville it just bought from Crook County for US$5.6 million.
A statutory warranty deed for the property off Baldwin Court was filed last week with the Crook County clerk’s office, a public document finally breaking the official silence over a long-term courtship with a company formerly known only as “Project Maverick,” the article adds. Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet told NewsChannel 21 Tuesday that they purchased the land for a data center, but offered no details.
Oregon’s mild climate and relatively low power costs are part of the draw, “but tax breaks are the big attraction,” according to “The Oregonian” (http://macte.ch/6KABp) Rural “enterprise zones” spare computers and other equipment from the property taxes that other businesses pay. The exemption could be worth several million dollars or more to Apple, depending on the size of its investment, notes “The Oregonian.”
Apple opened a 500,000-square-foot data center in Maiden, N.C., last night. The company also plans to build a new solar farm opposite the data center.
