Gov. Brown cites Apple energy promises

The office of California Governor Jerry Brown has approved Apple's upcoming "spaceship" campus for a streamlined environmental review, says the San Jose Mercury News. While the change isn't expected to speed up the structure's construction, which will only start next year, it should allow Apple to bypass some potential headaches during the review process. With the project classified under the "leadership project" designation, any legal challenges should be fast-tracked through the court system.

Brown himself explains that Apple has met two important criteria for the designation. "Apple's state-of-the art campus brings at least $100 million dollars in investment to California and generates no additional greenhouse gas emissions," he says. "On-site fuel cells and 650,000 square feet of solar panels will provide clean, renewable energy for more than 12,000 Apple employees on the new campus."

The "spaceship" nickname comes from the campus' unusual ring shape, depicted in concept illustrations. It should also have curved glass windows wrapping all the way around, and the solar panels in question will actually be based on the roof, contributing to a futuristic look.

by MacNN Staff