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Utah Set To Exempt NSA Datacenter From Power Tax, After All

Posted by Soulskill on from the please-let-us-make-it-cheaper-for-you-to-spy-on-us dept.

Nerval's Lobster writes "They may not all support what the NSA will do with its giant new datacenter in Bluffdale, but Utah officials do seem to agree on the value of having a world-class, $1.5 billion datacenter built in their territory. In general, they're for it, and are proving that by changing a law that would have added about $2.4 million in taxes to the datacenter's power bill—an addition that was an unpleasant surprise to NSA officials when they heard about it in May. A bill signed into law April 1 imposed a tax of up to 6 percent on electricity from Rocky Mountain Power, a requirement the NSA protested in an email to Utah Gov. Gary Herbert April 26. State tax agencies swear they informed the NSA about the impact of the law when it was still under debate; NSA officials denied knowing anything about it and complained that it would make Utah a less attractive site for the datacenter, which was only three to four months from completion at the time."

9 of 86 comments (clear)

  1. Well it figures. by marcello_dl · · Score: 5, Insightful

    State tax agencies swear they informed the NSA about the impact of the law when it was still under debate; NSA officials denied knowing anything about it

    Ladies and gentlemen, here are the guys whose job is information processing for the security of your nation...

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  2. I know nothing by portwojc · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just to be fair the NSA is denying knowing a lot these days.

  3. "NSA officials denied knowing anything about it" by harvestsun · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Well there's one we haven't heard before.

  4. 3 or 4 months from completition by schneidafunk · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They may be protesting, but don't be fooled into thinking they were going to move the billion dollar facility because of a $3 million tax. Utah should keep the tax money.

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    Some people die at 25 and aren't buried until 75. -Benjamin Franklin
    1. Re:3 or 4 months from completition by Bucc5062 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      There you go. Why back down when it was close to completion. Sure, adjust it later, but the NSA had to have some mojo on Utah politicians to get thm to change a tax law they all voted for.

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      Life is a great ride, the vehicle doesn't matter
  5. Does this avoid making power usage public ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Dont know much how the taxes are calculated. But, does avoid having to pay taxes also help remove the power consumption data from being public ?

  6. Re:Irony by daremonai · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The problem is, the state officials talked about it publicly. If they had just whispered it to each other in private cell phone conversations, the NSA might have paid attention.

  7. Re:Regarding this story: by Mitchell314 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It generates government revenue, paid for by government revenue plus overhead. So . . .

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  8. Re:Regarding this story: by icebike · · Score: 4, Informative

    Sigh.....

    The State of Utah would get far more in tax revenue from the feds if it could tax the power this site is going to use.

    Some of that tax money would be paid by Utah citizens via their Federal Income tax, but the overwhelmingly vast majority of it would come from the rest of the US tax payers in other states.

    As it stands now, Utah tax payers are going to have to pick up the slack for the free-loading federal government.

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    Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.