Apple to build second data center in Oregon

News network KTVZ has confirmed with Apple that the company plans to build another big data center on a 160-acre section of land just outside of Crook County, Oregon. The land that the data center will be built on cost Apple US$5.6 million. Until February 15, the paperwork that solidified the deal was hidden from public eyes, with Apple only being referred to as "Project Maverick." A piece of paper filed earlier this month identified Apple's address as "1 Infinite Loop," and Apple has now confirmed that it's going to be developing the land.

Apple's other data center in North Carolina has gotten a lot of press, but this new one isn't quite so surprising. We can expect it'll be used for Apple's extensive App Store traffic, plus various iCloud services and things like iTunes Match. Building in Oregon is smart as well; land is cheaper there than almost anywhere else along the West Coast (Facebook happens to have a data center nearby as well), and the proximity to big tech cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle will set Apple up well for future Internet-based services. While $5.6 million may sound like a lot, it's a drop in the bucket for both the cost of the data center and compared to Apple's considerable (to say the least) cash holdings.

Apple also confirmed that this data center will be a "green" facility (as it's come under fire from environmental concerns for its data centers in the past), but given that plans probably aren't finalized yet, we'll have to wait and see what that means.

[via Mac Rumors]