“The Arizona Legislature wants to help Apple Inc. by extending renewable energy tax credits and exemptions to cover the 1.3-million-square-foot data center it plans to open in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa,” Ryan Van Velzer reports for The Associated Press. “”
“The House approved a bill Tuesday that expands a $5 million sales tax credit passed last year to include international operations centers that make a capital investment of $1.25 billion, such as the facility Apple plans to build next year,” Van Velzer reports. “The House swiftly debated the bill and passed it 57-3 after amending it to match the Senate version. That will allow a speedy trip to the governor’s desk when the Senate acts. Two Republicans and one Democrat voted against the bill. To qualify for the sales tax credit, Cupertino, California-based Apple would have to invest at least $100 million in new renewable energy facilities and use some portion of that energy to power its data center.”
“The bill by Sen. Bob Worsley, R-Mesa, also exempts Apple’s facility from sales taxes on electricity or natural gas, resulting in a $1.3 million loss of revenue for the state’s general fund for the budget year starting July 1, 2016, according to the Legislature’s budget analysts,” Van Velzer reports. “Worsley said the bill helps Arizona get its foot in the door with Apple and could lead to bigger projects in the future.”
“Opponents said the bill was specialty legislation,” Van Velzer reports. “‘I just don’t believe in picking winners and losers,’ said Rep. Michelle Ugenti, R-Scottsdale, echoing a refrain often heard from Republicans opposed to business incentives. ‘I just don’t think it’s a good economic tool.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Congratulations to Arizona for providing the incentives to create those new Apple Inc. jobs and the myriad benefits they’ll bring to Mesa and Arizona.
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