Apple commits to build “grid-scale” energy storage in California

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  Apple's "California Flats" solar energy farm in Northern California. [credit: Apple ]

Apple announced Wednesday that it will build a "grid-scale" energy-storage project in California capable of storing 240 megawatt-hours of energy. The storage will work closely with the 130-megawatt solar farm the company already built to power daytime energy needs at its headquarters in Cupertino. Additionally, Apple says that 110 of its manufacturing partners are moving to 100 percent renewable energy, as part of a commitment by Apple to make its supply chain and products carbon neutral by 2030.

The project is intended to store energy so the energy produced by the solar farm can be used during the night as well as during the day, and Cupertino says the project will store enough energy to "power over 7,000 homes for one day." Apple plans to share some of what it learns from the project with other companies, executives have said.

Apple's own corporate footprint is already carbon-neutral, the company says, but it will be a longer and more challenging road to bring its various manufacturing partners and suppliers along with it. Apple's newsroom post offers details about how Apple works with suppliers to reduce their carbon footprints:

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