Apple has taken a lot of heat from environmental groups for some if its questionable policies and lack of transparency over the past few years, but a new report from the tech giant is showing that all of its data centers now run on 100% renewable energy.
Data centers use about 30 billion watts of electricity around the world, making them one of the biggest energy consumers for tech companies. Needless to say, this makes Apple’s commitment to clean energy a huge deal, especially since Greenpeace have previously given the company a terrible rating – 12th out of 14 tech companies – in a report for its heavy use of coal power.
Despite all of this progress, Greenpeace still sees some work to be done with Apple’s clean energy progress. “As it keeps growing the cloud, Apple still has major roadblocks to meeting its 100% clean energy commitment in North Carolina, where renewable energy policies are under siege and electric utility Duke Energy is intent on blocking wind and solar energy from entering the grid,†said Gary Cook, Greenpeace International Senior IT Analyst.â€
Apple’s overall facilities are running on 75% clean energy, a huge leap from the 35% it was running on in 2010. The company also utilizes a biodiesel bus system and bike-sharing system to help cut down on commutes. If anything, this shows that public pressure can work for companies who want to maintain a positive and progressive public image.
Image CC licensed by AJC1
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