“State and local officials awarded Apple Inc. more than $207 million in incentives to build a proposed data center in Waukee,” Kevin Hardy and Kim Norvell report for The Des Moines Register. “Documents released Thursday morning by the Iowa Economic Development Authority show Apple plans to spend $1.375 billion to build two ‘state-of-the-art’ data centers on 2,000 acres in Waukee. The company plans to power the buildings with 100 percent renewable energy, state records show. The project is expected to create 50 jobs, which must pay a minimum of $29.12 per hour, per the state incentive program. ”
“The economic development authority board awarded $19.65 million in investment tax credits to Apple at a specially called meeting Thursday morning. State documents say that total is ‘negotiated as the amount of sales tax refund.’ The appointed board unanimously approved the incentives,” Hardy and Norvell report. “State incentives require matches from local governments. For its part, the Waukee City Council approved a 71 percent property tax abatement over 20 years for Apple ― an incentive worth $188,239,943 state records show. The city is expected to also fund ‘significant’ infrastructure improvements for Apple’s project, though state officials said those costs are ‘to be determined.'”
Apple joins Facebook, Google and Microsoft as the latest tech giant to build roots in Iowa. Those companies have cited Iowa’s large inventory of available land, low energy costs, high portfolio of renewable energy and low risk of natural disasters as reasons for locating here,” Hardy and Norvell report. “The incentive package from the economic development authority falls in line with previous awards for Iowa data centers…”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Congratulations, Iowa and Waukee!
UPDATE: 3:59pm EDT:
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’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