Apple preparing for 'major, major' datacenter expansion in Oregon - report
Apple is set to follow through on expansion plans for its $250 million datacenter in Prineville, Oregon, a Wednesday report suggests, after the Oregon legislature resolved a tax issue that could have tacked millions of dollars onto Apple's bills in the future.
Apple's Prineville facility
The facility, which already totals nearly 340,000 square feet, could double in size. Apple had previously put these plans --?which were initially revealed in 2013 --?on hold pending a resolution to the tax issue, according to The Oregonian.
Apple is among a number of companies with Oregon outposts, including Facebook and Amazon, that were taken aback by a 2014 change to the state's property tax valuation methodology that could have seen their tax bills explode following the expiration of their current tax breaks.
Now, Apple is "planning on a major, major expansion," Crook County administrator Judge Mike McCabe said. "The haven't shared [their strategy] with us," he added, "and we haven't seen the plans."
That could include the building of a second, like-sized facility and the construction of a major solar plant to power it, which Apple was reportedly planning to break ground on before the tax issue cropped up. The company has already acquired a small hydroelectric project near the existing facility to add to its clean energy sources.
Apple's Prineville facility
The facility, which already totals nearly 340,000 square feet, could double in size. Apple had previously put these plans --?which were initially revealed in 2013 --?on hold pending a resolution to the tax issue, according to The Oregonian.
Apple is among a number of companies with Oregon outposts, including Facebook and Amazon, that were taken aback by a 2014 change to the state's property tax valuation methodology that could have seen their tax bills explode following the expiration of their current tax breaks.
Now, Apple is "planning on a major, major expansion," Crook County administrator Judge Mike McCabe said. "The haven't shared [their strategy] with us," he added, "and we haven't seen the plans."
That could include the building of a second, like-sized facility and the construction of a major solar plant to power it, which Apple was reportedly planning to break ground on before the tax issue cropped up. The company has already acquired a small hydroelectric project near the existing facility to add to its clean energy sources.
Comments
Hydro seems like a no brainer instead.
I wonder how the name Crook County was decided upon.
Now, Apple is "planning on a major, major expansion," Crook County administrator Judge Mike McCabe said.
Edit : The county is named after George Crook, a U.S. Army officer who served in the American Civil War and various Indian Wars.
We're all living in the world of Tron and didn't realize it.
Apple really should start looking into seasteading for future data centers. Governmental spying and abusive tax policies are becoming more and more of a threat and their data centers being thought of as 'nationless' may become more important to maintaining trust and independence.
the problem is a reliable connection for data.
i assume it would not be simple, quick or cheap to tether a ship in international waters to one of the trans atlantic or trans pacific fiber cables...
buying private islands would probably be a better method - if actors can do it, i am sure Apple & Google can.
the problem is a reliable connection for data.
i assume it would not be simple, quick or cheap to tether a ship in international waters to one of the trans atlantic or trans pacific fiber cables...
buying private islands would probably be a better method - if actors can do it, i am sure Apple & Google can.
It's not going to happen, because it solves nothing. Even if Apple had a self-sustaining platform in the middle of international waters with all the fiber it could ever use, the fiber needs to go somewhere. When it comes into the US, the NSA gets your junk. When it goes into China, they get your junk.
According to Eric Snowden, you'd have more of a chance of privacy when the data centers are in the US. The NSA monitors outgoing and incoming data from/to the US. However this is misleading as data centers in the US often transfer the data or route the date internationally, so the NSA gets it then.
And buying private islands, not only has the same issues, but also the issue of being able to be turned off as well as rarely achieving true micro-nation status, but instead still being required to adhere to the laws of the government that sold or (more usually) leased the land.
The better bet is to take the billions of dollars and invest it in lobbying, PACs, and public awareness campaigns.
It's not going to happen, because it solves nothing. Even if Apple had a self-sustaining platform in the middle of international waters with all the fiber it could ever use, the fiber needs to go somewhere....blah blah...The better bet is to take the billions of dollars and invest it in lobbying, PACs, and public awareness campaigns.
The issue in this article, as i saw it, was that Oregon changed property tax law, resulting in Apple delaying build-out.
Both seasteading & private "island-countries" would nullify the moving-target taxation situation for datacenters & the property they are built on.
The issue in this article, as i saw it, was that Oregon changed property tax law, resulting in Apple delaying build-out.
Both seasteading & private "island-countries" would nullify the moving-target taxation situation for datacenters & the property they are built on.
The thread I responded to started with "Governmental spying and abusive tax policies are becoming more and more of a threat and their data centers being thought of as 'nationless' may become more important to maintaining trust and independence."
As pointed out, privacy isn't helped by doing this, but neither is it financially beneficial in regards to taxes. The whole point is to have data centers geo-optimized for where they're serving. Otherwise, they could just as easily be offshored in any tax-friendly nation. However seasteading, besides adding exorbitant costs that make property taxes seem petty, still would result in fees and taxes for where they ultimately make land onshore. Micronations make no sense either in this regard because the lease fee will always be higher than the equivalent property tax (not to mention all the other issues).
Again, the best course of action here is through existing legal means, lobbying, PACs, public awareness campaigns. For property tax, Apple (or any other company) can negotiate fixed rates for a period of years. They know what they're getting into, or they're willing to sign a deal with unfixed rates because the risk isn't a deal breaker (either the tax won't be an issue, or they can relocate).
The thread I responded to started with "Governmental spying and abusive tax policies are becoming more and more of a threat and their data centers being thought of as 'nationless' may become more important to maintaining trust and independence."
then why are you replying to me?
It would be a breakthrough move if Apple were to build a small thorium reactor, which would require a considerable investment, but they have the funds and it would then show the world the way to use green nuclear technology. No one else has the political will to get this going.
then why are you replying to me?
Why did you reply to the OP (or me for that matter)?
The OP talked about privacy issues. You responded about private islands (not property tax). I responded about how neither ocean platforms or private islands solve the privacy issue. You complain I'm off topic. I respond that the OP was talking about privacy issues, but the points I'm making also apply to property tax. You're now whining about this.
WTF is your problem?
you must have *completely* missed the original article. original post in the thread.