Greenpeace has been on the offensive against Apple this week, blasting the company for sourcing the power for its energy-intensive data centers from coal power plants. Today, Apple fired back with some remarkable facts, claiming it's a clean and renewable energy superstar.
Apple says the data centers in Austin, Texas, Sacramento, California, Munich, Germany, and Cork, Ireland are already powered by 100 percent renewable energy. The company has also been granted regulatory approval to use renewable energy at its data center in Newark, California, which should be completed by February 2013.
But what's more impressive are Apple's initiatives in Maiden, North Carolina where the company is actually building two 100-acre solar farms that will fill 60 percent of the data center's needs. This should be completed by the end of the year. According to Apple it will be "the most environmentally sound data center ever built." ANd on top of that, Apple says their forthcoming data center in Prineville, Oregon "will be every bit as environmentally responsible as our Maiden data center."
Oh, and in case you were wondering, Apple's Cupertino headquarters is powered by 50% renewable energy. Take that Greenpeace! [Apple via MacRumors]