Apple could greatly expand its Oregon-based data center thanks to new tax law

Apple could move ahead with plans for a major expansion to its data center in Prineville, Oregon thanks to a new tax law that was signed by the state's governor Kate Brown last week

The law will exempt data centers in Oregon from a new state valuation methodology, which could have increased the taxes on Apple's location in Prineville by tens of millions of dollars when their 15-year tax breaks end. From Oregon Live:

On a Tuesday broadcast of Oregon Public Broadcasting's "Think Out Loud" talk show, Judge Mike McCabe, Crook County's administrator, said Apple is ready to go ahead with at least some of its growth plans. "They're planning on a major, major expansion," McCabe said. He indicated that negotiations on the details of that project remain under negotiation. In a followup conversation, McCabe said he doesn't know specifically what the company has in mind. "The haven't shared it with us," he said, "and we haven't seen the plans." Apple did not respond to inquiries seeking confirmation.

Apple started construction of the first of two planned data centers in Prineville, Oregon in October 2012. The 338,000 square foot center could be expanded with a second previously announced building of the same size with this change in the tax code. Oregon is also home to large data centers built by Amazon, Facebook and Google that will likely be affected by this new law.

Source: Oregon Live; Via: Apple Insider