The fate of Apple’s proposed data center in Ireland is finally on the fast-track.
After facing an 18-month delay due to an appeal from two Irish residents, Ireland’s High Court agreed to Apple’s request to speed up the legal process. Now instead of waiting until 2018, the court has to resolve the case within six months.
Apple’s new data center will be used to power services like Apple Music, the App Store, iMessage, Maps and Siri for customers in Europe. A few locals have criticized the impact that Apple’s Irish data center could have on wildlife and traffic. Others have praised Apple’s proposal. It will be one of Apple’s most eco-friendly data centers ever.
Apple data center problems
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To reach a decision more quickly, the court put the dispute on the “commercial list. The case is set to be heard on March 21, 2017, with a decision coming in April.
The data center is set to be built outside the town of Athenry. More than 2,000 people marched through the streets of the town yesterday to show support for Apple. Many residents believe Apple’s new data center will bring jobs and more money into the town.
Apple announced the $939 million data center back in February 2015. If approved, eight data halls will be built on the 500-acre site, with thousands of servers being added over 15 years.
