Apple Planning to Invest $1 Billion in New Data Center and Other Facilities in Reno, Nevada

[MacRumors]

The Reno Gazette-Journal reports that Apple has proposed investing up to $1 billion over the next ten years to build a new data center and other facilities in the Reno, Nevada area. The data center would be located in unincorporated Washoe County, while a "business and purchasing center" would be located in a business park in downtown Reno.

Today, the Washoe County Board of Commissioners is considering abatements for Apple's planned data center in the Reno Technology Park, located east of Sparks along Interstate 80.

Mike Folks, an Apple spokesman, said the company planning for the project to become operational later this year.

"We're looking at a 30-year relationship," Folks told commissioners.

The data center, codenamed "Project Jonathan", is said to be planned to generate nearly 600 construction jobs and as many as 41 direct and 200 contractor jobs upon opening.

Apple currently operates a major data center in Maiden, North Carolina and a much smaller one in Newark, California near the companies headquarters. Apple is also investing $250 million in a new data center in Prineville, Oregon.

Update: Apple has issued a statement to AllThingsD confirming its intent for the area.

"We hope to build Apple's next data center in Reno to support Apple's iTunes Store, App Store and incredibly popular iCloud services," Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet told AllThingsD. "If approved, this project would expand our presence in Nevada and create hundreds of construction jobs over the next year, plus permanent jobs at the data center which will add to our existing total of nearly 400 employees in the state."

Article Link: Apple Planning to Invest $1 Billion in New Data Center and Other Facilities in Reno, Nevada

 

[Peace]

I wonder what the "other facilities" are.

If the data center here in Oregon costs $250M there's a big difference in expenditures.

 

[d4rkc4sm]

place could use a little cash injection

 

[Stridder44]

Very good news for Reno. And let's be honest, that place needs something like this

 

[ipoppy]

I really do hope this time Apple will allow storage of personal stuff and not only email, documents, contacts, calendar, photos which come from Mac environment. I can't believe that company that size and influence can't get that sorted as it has already been done by Microsoft or Google.

 

[Randizzledante]

As a resident of Reno, this is fantastic news. We DEFINITELY need the money. Thanks Apple, we look forward to having you

 

[Glideslope]

"The Assimilation Continues". Seriously, I'm very interested in "other facilities".

Could we see a small Production Facility for a single low demand product?

 

[Drunken Master]

Why build a data center in such a hot place though? Wouldn't you end up using more power to keep the building cool?

I guess there's less chances of natural disasters there though, no hurricanes or tornadoes to worry about.

 

[bruinselmann]

"Then we arrived in Reno, which is a bit like Las Vegas. Only worse."

- Jeremy Clarkson

 

[carlgo]

What do they plan to get the data from us to there and back again in a timely manner? Where is the bandwidth for all of this off-site storage stuff?

 

[Russell L]

This is great news for the Reno area. As a former semi-regular visitor, it was depressing to see the town slowly go downhill over the past several years.

 

[surma884]

Why build a data center in such a hot place though? Wouldn't you end up using more power to keep the building cool?

I guess there's less chances of natural disasters there though, no hurricanes or tornadoes to worry about.

Maybe they plan on using solar power?

 

[nvbrit]

Why build a data center in such a hot place though? Wouldn't you end up using more power to keep the building cool?

I guess there's less chances of natural disasters there though, no hurricanes or tornadoes to worry about.

It's only "hot" here for part of the year, we have very cold winters here.

I live in Reno and really hope this goes ahead, it will be great for our area!

 

[Rocketman]

That is a beautiful area of the country. I can see why they would locate purchasing managers there. It is also along the lines geographically of Prineville, OR although a bit further south.

I wonder if they are leasing or buying the space for the purchasing center.

It's near the capital of NV Carson City, short drive to awesome Lake Tahoe, moderate drive to Sacramento, the capital of CA, and along the way HP and Aerojet.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=reno...&geocode=+&hnear=Reno,+Washoe,+Nevada&t=m&z=9

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=reno...geocode=+&hnear=Reno,+Washoe,+Nevada&t=h&z=11

Rocketman

 

[eucsstamticc]

Here comes Apple's new Cellular network!

 

[nvbrit]

That is a beautiful area of the country. I can see why they would locate purchasing managers there. It is also along the lines geographically of Prineville, OR although a bit further south.

I wonder if they are leasing or buying the space for the purchasing center.

Rocketman

It's also close to the bay area and Apple HQ, which is only around 250 miles West of Reno

 

[ChrisA]

Why build a data center in such a hot place though? Wouldn't you end up using more power to keep the building cool?

I guess there's less chances of natural disasters there though, no hurricanes or tornadoes to worry about.

Solar panels work well in Reno. "Free" energy.

Also if you have enough capital you can get nearly free cooling too. What you do is dig a big hole in the ground and bury pipe. At some depth (maybe 15 or 20 feet) the solid stays at the average year day/night temperature which is not really very high when you consider that night and winter temps are averaged in. So. you can have "free" cool water for your air chillers. But you do need to spend up front to dig a big hole the size of a few large swimming pools.

This system works well in the places where it snows too. you get "free" too. Mostly anyplace around the US the water comes up at about 58F. THis works well for both summer cooling and winter heating.

Installing these system is a BIG business now, Need a job? Learn how to engineer these ground heat systems

 

[nuckinfutz]

I wonder what the "other facilities" are.

If the data center here in Oregon costs $250M there's a big difference in expenditures.

First thing I though was "is the Oregon facility still a go?"

This kind of shows how Cloud computing is going to dominate the next decade. Data Center will be spread throughout the country and provide low latency access to data over wifi/cellular.

 

[hobo.hopkins]

And why should I care about this?

Because nearby residents should benefit from the expansion. Also, it just might slow down people incessantly spewing garbage about how awful and anti-American Apple is (because of Chinese manufacture). So nothing but positives relating to this story, really.

 

[Trav29]

Definitely good news for the Reno community.

 

[cadillac1234]

"Then we arrived in Reno, which is a bit like Las Vegas. Only worse."

- Jeremy Clarkson

Poor Reno...

I love the place. Even the grimy bits

 

[jcpb]

Instead of shoveling snow away after a major snowfall, shunt the stuff into a large windowless room. "Free" summer air-con and save power!

 

[Glideslope]

Here comes Apple's new Cellular network!

Pauses, thinks hard. Continues to think.............

 

[charlituna]

Shouldn't that be Project SIR Jonathan

 

[iVoid]

What do they plan to get the data from us to there and back again in a timely manner? Where is the bandwidth for all of this off-site storage stuff?

I think they'll invent something called the Internet to transfer the data where it needs to go.

If you use iCloud right now, it's already being stored in NC (probably). This just gives them more room to grow and some redundancy when NC falls into the ocean.