Apple today announced plans to build a 400,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art data center in Waukee, Iowa, to better serve North American users of iMessage, Siri, the App Store and other Apple services. Like all Apple data centers, the new facility will run entirely on renewable energy from day one.
Apple’s investment of $1.3 billion will create over 550 construction and operations jobs in the Des Moines area, and the company is contributing up to $100 million to a newly created Public Improvement Fund dedicated to community development and infrastructure around Waukee.
“At Apple, we’re always looking at ways to deliver even better experiences for our customers. Our new data center in Iowa will help serve millions of people across North America who use Siri, iMessage, Apple Music and other Apple services — all powered by renewable energy,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, in a statement. “Apple is responsible for 2 million jobs in all 50 states and we’re proud today’s investment will add to the more than 10,000 jobs we already support across Iowa, providing even more economic opportunity for the community.”
The new Public Improvement Fund, to be established and managed by the City of Waukee, will support the development of community projects like parks, libraries and recreational spaces, as well as infrastructure needs. The first project the fund will support is construction of the Waukee Youth Sports Campus featuring a greenhouse, playground, fishing pier and fields for high school and public sporting events.
Apple will be working with local partners to invest in renewable energy projects from wind and other sources to power the data center. Apple has pledged to power all of its global operations with 100 percent renewable energy, and has already reached that goal in the US and 23 other countries.
“We’re honored Apple is choosing Iowa for the site of its most technologically advanced data center to date,” said Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, in a statement. “Apple’s commitment to innovation and renewable energy leadership mirrors our own. This investment in our state is vital as we continue to develop as a technology hub and grow our workforce.”
“Waukee is proud to welcome Apple,” said Waukee Mayor Bill Peard. “This new facility will bring with it high-quality jobs and important infrastructure developments for the city. We look forward to a continued partnership with Apple on this effort for decades to come.”
Construction on the data center is expected to start early next year and Apple plans to bring it online in 2020.
Apple is one of the biggest job creators in the United States, responsible for 2 million jobs. Last year, Apple spent over $50 billion with more than 9,000 US suppliers and manufacturers. Since the launch of the App Store in 2008, US developers have earned over $16 billion in App Store sales worldwide.
Source: Apple Inc.
MacDailyNews Take: Again, congrats to Iowa, the Des Moines area and the City of Waukee!
Looking forward to working with @KimReynoldsIA & @CityofWaukee for Apple's newest data center to serve N American customers. pic.twitter.com/anKRn8VGOE
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) August 24, 2017
SEE ALSO:
Apple wins more than $207 million in Iowa state, Waukee City incentives to build two new data centers for $1.375 billion – August 24, 2017
Apple’s ‘Project Morgan’ revealed – August 24, 2017
Apple to build data center in Iowa – August 23, 2017
Apple to build second renewables-powered data center in Denmark – July 10, 2017
Apple’s huge data center in Ireland hits a snag – February 3, 2016
Some residents object to Apple’s planned new €850 million data center in Ireland – June 18, 2015
Apple’s strong commitment to the environment sets a powerful example for other companies – May 15, 2015
Apple to invest €1.7 billion to build two new european data centers – February 23, 2015
Iowa sends a STRONG message on renewable energy! Good to see them supporting it!
Great. Now let’s get Iowa to back off their support for Federal requirement to add ethanol to gasoline. One of the stupidest, misplaced, “conservation” boondoggles out there.
Nothing is 100% renewable.. If it were, the place would shut down at night and when the wind stops blowing.. It will require huge power storage with good old expensive cells (also known as batteries) that will eventually need to be replaced. If they have no connection the existing grid.. And last time I checked, the cells needed for this require rare elements that are mined at great expense..
Think fuel cells.
Iowa has huge wind farms. And plenty of solar PV cells. They really are in a good position to use mostly renewables. If they tie into the commercial electric grid, they could well be “net zero” fossil fuel. And could well produce more energy than they consume, on “net”.
Please post my other comment which has all fields filled.
What’s the use of offering us the “Web” field when you don’t publish my comments when I fill out the “Web” field? I don’t get it.
It is not a comments field. It is for when you find a web link you want to send to MDN for consideration of publishing as a headline…
“Iowa approved a deal…to give Apple $208 million in state and local tax breaks….”
and
Apple is giving “…up to $100 million to a newly created Public Improvement Fund….”
So Apple is coming out ahead approx. $108 million in this exchange scheme.
But why the pretense when the two bargainers should simply have simplified the bribe by Iowa giving Apple $108 million right up front to avoid the pretense of magnanimity.
I don’t know much about the technical aspects of the deal, but when you balance those tax breaks with the creation of hundreds of jobs—and those employees will be paying taxes, and supporting local businesses that, in turn, will be paying taxes—it may not be such a “scheme” after all.
If you want to see “schemes” in action, take a look at Walmart, a company that pays its employees such low wages that they are forced to rely on government assistance (and, as a result, those people are referred to as “whiners” who suck money from the government). I’m willing to bet that the jobs Apple creates will be those in which the employees receive a fair wage. I’m not saying they’ll be making six figures or more, but they will be those in which a person can live with dignity.
I forgot to say that Walmart gets massive tax breaks from the government. The Waltons are billionaires who, unlike Apple, treat their employees like dirt.
Renewable? Renewable? You mean it’s not going to be run using coal? What’s wrong with Apple? Think of all the miners that could be put back to work if only Tim Cook was determined to make America great again.
Apple: Where the Future meets the road.
Nope, no carbon fuels. Sorry. Good change is good.