Apple is expected to be the latest tech giant to set up shop in Central Oregon.
Property records show the company spent more than $5 million to buy 160 acres in Prineville.
According to a six page deed filed with the Crook County Clerk’s office, Apple Incorporated purchased the land on February 15th. That’s the same day the Oregon Legislature passed a bill protecting data centers from having their taxes assessed by the state when they’re in an enterprise zone.
An Apple spokesman confirmed to KTVZ the company’s plan to build a data center. Crook County officials declined to comment, citing a confidentiality agreement.
But even before the announcement, rumors that Apple might come to Prineville had been swirling for months.
One reason for that is Apple’s recent push into cloud computing.
Back in October, the company rolled out its iCloud service.
It encourages users to move their music, photos and documents off their computers and and onto central servers housed in data farms.
Prineville, meanwhile, has established itself as a good place for servers.
The region’s cool high desert climate is ideal for energy-efficient, self-cooling data centers.
That’s one of the reasons Facebook is doubling its footprint there.
