Apple announced its latest energy plans, with the company building a battery farm capable of storing 240 megawatt-hours of energy.
Apple has been working to make its whole business carbon neutral. The company is already carbon neutral for its corporate emissions, but wants its entire supply and manufacturing supply chain to be carbon neutral by 2030.
“We are firmly committed to helping our suppliers become carbon neutral by 2030 and are thrilled that companies who’ve joined us span industries and countries around the world, including Germany, China, the US, India, and France,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president for Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives. “In a year like no other, Apple continued to work with a global network of colleagues, companies, and advocates to help make our environmental efforts and everything we do a force for good in people’s lives — and to work alongside the communities most impacted by climate change.”
As part of its larger environmental goals, the company is building a battery farm large enough to power some 7,000 homes for a day. The project is one of the biggest battery projects in the US.
This project supports the company’s 130-megawatt solar farm that provides all of its renewable energy in California, by storing excess energy generated during the day and deploying it when it is most needed.
Battery backups are becoming increasingly important aspects of the power industry. Tesla is creating a battery backup solution to help Texas better regulate its grid, following the disasterous outages over the winter. Apple’s move will help the company further its environmental goals, and provide a layer of resiliency.