Apple pledges clean power for datacentre following Greenpeace protest

Apple is promising to use renewable energy sources following a high-profile protest from environmental group Greenpeace.

The company has outlined a plan which will see its Maiden, North Carolina facility powered by up to 20 megawatts of electricity generated through solar power and fuel cells.
 
"On-site energy generation minimises our dependence on the grid and reduces our environmental impact," Apple said.
"And when our solar arrays and fuel cells are operating, Apple's Maiden datacentre will be the most environmentally sound datacentre ever built."

Apple said that it is currently planning to construct a pair of solar arrays around the North Carolina facility. The company predicts that the arrays, each of which will cover 100 acres of land, will produce 84 million kilowatt-hours of energy every year.

Apple has found itself in the crosshairs of environmental groups, particularly Greenpeace, as of late. The group has criticised the company for building some of its largest and most power-hungry facilities in areas which rely heavily on coal power plants.

Earlier this week, Apple's Cupertino headquarters played host to a high-profile protest from Greenpeace, which included a series of comments and images projected onto the side of Apple buildings.

After hearing word of Apple's plans for its Maiden facility, Greenpeace International senior IT analyst Gary Cook issued a statement applauding the company for listening to customer demands for cleaner environmental policies.

"Apple's announcement today is a great sign that Apple is taking seriously the hundreds of thousands of its customers who have asked for an iCloud powered by clean energy, not dirty coal," Cook said.
"Apple's doubling of its solar capacity and investment in local renewable energy are key steps to creating a cleaner iCloud."

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