Apple has agreed to pay Prineville and Crook County governments US$150,000 a year and get a 15-year property tax exemption for the data centre it is developing, one that the technology giant has now promised will involve a US$250 million investment - and will be 100% fuelled by renewable energy. In the agreement, Apple also commits to minimums of 35 jobs at the centre, wages at 150% of the county’s average wage and US$250 million invested at the 160 acres of land it has bought.

The US$150,000 project fee is part of an agreement with Apple that was made public this week. Prineville City Manager Steve Forrester called it a common arrangement. The value of the tax break will depend on how much Apple winds up investing, The Oregonian reported. Similar tax breaks on Google’s US$1.3 billion data centre in The Dalles are worth more than US$24 million to the company annually.

Source: KTVZ