Almost 220 acres for new solar farm

Apple is planning to expand its North Carolina datacenter yet again, and has paid for $3 million in additional land near Conover, according to the Hickory Daily Record. The purchase includes a base 218.885 acres plus another 0.251, all expected to support a new solar farm. The information stems from records at the Catawba County Register of Deeds.

Apple has promised to make the datacenter, located near Maiden, fully powered by renewable energy. At the moment the center is at least still partly dependent on power from the local grid. The environmental group Greenpeace has previously protested this, arguing that since many North Carolina power plants are coal-based, Apple's facility is indirectly contributing to air pollution. Datacenters can consume massive amounts of electricity due to their running dozens or hundreds of servers non-stop, which moreover requires extra cooling.

by MacNN Staff