107
How a Washington Tax Break for Data Centers Snowballed Into One of the State’s Biggest Corporate Giveaways (www.propublica.org)
submitted 4 months ago by JRepin@lemmy.ml to c/technology@lemmy.ml
9 comments fedilink hide all child comments

One of Washington’s largest corporate tax breaks has grown alongside a data center boom in Central Washington, including this data center in East Wenatchee owned by the Sabey Corp. Despite forgoing more than $474 million since 2018, the state can’t say how many jobs were created by the tax break. During that same time frame, it also hasn’t evaluated whether the revenue loss was worth it.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] DeltaTangoLima@reddrefuge.com 3 points 4 months ago

DCs do indirectly create/support a lot of jobs, though. Construction is an obvious one, but even running a DC requires lots of additional people that often aren't employed by the DC owner/operator.

I can absolutely attest to the fact that it takes even less than 20 directly-employed people to run an entire DC, including the racks of gear within it. But there are quite literally dozens and dozens more contractors and vendors involved in maintaining the facility and the equipment within them:

  • Physical security
  • Fire systems
  • Building controls
  • Electrical
    • HV and LV can often be separate sets of skills/contractors
  • Refrigeration
  • Mechanical
    • Critical mechanical - generators, etc
    • Regular mechanical - electric gates,etc
  • Plumbing and gasfitting
  • Water experts (cooling towers, etc)
  • Building maintenance contractors
  • Gardeners

And the list goes on. My point is that DCs can absolutely be a significant driver of employment and economic activity, just not all directly.

[-] PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml 3 points 4 months ago

Yea I suppose the maintenance of those systems provides some employable benefit. So let's say 1000 contractors, is that worth ~500million in tax breaks over 6 years? I'd say absolutely not. If that number were 100x or even 10x maybe, but ultimately it's 500million stolen by the private entities based on exaggerated employment claims and dubious accounting.

this post was submitted on 10 Aug 2024
107 points (100.0% liked)

Technology

35148 readers
43 users here now

This is the official technology community of Lemmy.ml for all news related to creation and use of technology, and to facilitate civil, meaningful discussion around it.

Ask in DM before posting product reviews or ads. All such posts otherwise are subject to removal.

Rules:

1: All Lemmy rules apply

2: Do not post low effort posts

3: NEVER post naziped*gore stuff

4: Always post article URLs or their archived version URLs as sources, NOT screenshots. Help the blind users.

5: personal rants of Big Tech CEOs like Elon Musk are unwelcome (does not include posts about their companies affecting wide range of people)

6: no advertisement posts unless verified as legitimate and non-exploitative/non-consumerist

7: crypto related posts, unless essential, are disallowed

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
MinutePhrase@lemmy.ml