Yesterday we wrote about Greenpeace’s research that accused Apple’s North Carolina data center of being environmentally dirty. According to the research firm’s study, Apple is among the biggest environmental offenders when it comes to powering its data factories with coal.
Well, to no ones surprise, Apple send out an official response to Greenpeace’s scathing report that raises questions about the credibility of the estimates in the research company’s study.
“Our data center in North Carolina will draw about 20 megawatts at full capacity, and we are on track to supply more than 60% of that power on-site from renewable sources including a solar farm and fuel cell installation which will each be the largest of their kind in the country,” Apple said in a statement. “We believe this industry-leading project will make Maiden the greenest data center ever built, and it will be joined next year by our new facility in Oregon running on 100% renewable energy.”
Apple confirmed what I thought yesterday, when I said: “I’m sure their has to be more to the story though, like what Apple will use to help power the NC facility.” Apple in its statement (above) pointed out what Greenpeace failed to mention, which is Apple’s substantial investment in on-site renewable power in Maiden, which includes a 20 megawatt solar array and a biogas-powered fuel cell with a 5 megawatt capacity.
So to simplify things, Apple sparingly called bullshit on Greenpeace’ tricky math, which only counts the $1 billion Apple has put aside, but ignores the cost of the company’s clean energy initiatives it has already made to help power the NC facility.
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