Apple Commits $848M to Solar Farm Energy Deal

Apple is continuing its efforts to be one of the greenest companies on the planet with a major new commitment to solar energy.

The Cupertino tech giant will buy $848 million worth of energy — enough to power nearly 60,000 homes — from a massive new solar farm near Monterey, Calif., south of San Francisco.

Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the plan on Tuesday during the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference, noting that the facility will supply power to the company's new "spaceship" campus in Cupertino (pictured), which is currently under construction, all 52 Apple retail stores in California, as well as the company's offices, and its data center in Newark, Calif.

"We are doing this because it's right to do, but you may also be interested to know that it's good financially to do it," Cook told investors at the conference, according to AppleInsider. "We expect to have a very significant savings, because we have a fixed price for the renewable energy, and there's quite a difference between that price and the price of brown energy."

Apple is purchasing the power from First Solar, which said it has a 25-year agreement with the iPhone maker — the largest-ever contract to provide clean energy to a commercial company.

"Apple is leading the way in addressing climate change by showing how large companies can serve their operations with 100 percent clean, renewable energy," Joe Kishkill, chief commercial officer for First Solar, said in a statement. "Apple's commitment was instrumental in making this project possible and will significantly increase the supply of solar power in California."

Once criticized for its heavy reliance on "dirty" energy, Apple has made major environmental strides in recent years. The company is now powering all of its data centers through renewable energy sources, and says its new 176-acre spaceship campus will be the "greenest building on the planet."

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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