It's being confirmed by Apple today that they intend to invest $2 billion to convert the failed GTAT sapphire factory in Arizona into a state-of-the-art data center. Apple's spokesperson Kristin sent an e-mailed statement out on Monday stating that "This multibillion-dollar project is one of the largest investments we've ever made. We're proud to continue investing in the U.S. with a new data center in Arizona, which will serve as a command center for our global networks. The factory will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy, including energy from a new local solar farm."

According to Bloomberg, "The data center will employ 150 full-time Apple employees and will create 300 to 500 construction and trade jobs, Doug Ducey, Arizona's governor, said in a telephone interview.

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