Commercial, Distributed Generation, Solar, Sourcing Renewables, Wind  -  March 22, 2016

Apple boasts 93% of facilities now powered with renewables

Apple's highly-publicized product launch event in California on March 21 featured another announcement that got energy watchers’ attention: The tech company now operates 93% of its facilities worldwide with renewable energy.

Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives, made the announcement at the beginning of the event, putting the company's commitment to corporate sustainability and the environment front and center.  Jackson said Apple's offices, retail stores and data centers in 23 countries, including the U.S. and China, are already 100% powered by renewable energy such as solar, wind and hydro. 

"We want to change the world for the better, and we think there's no greater challenge in the world than our changing climate," Jackson, who served as the Administrator for the U.S. EPA  from 2009 to 2013, said. "The solution is energy efficiency and renewable energy, and the time for action is right now. " 

The announcement comes two years after Apple unveiled its goal is to reach 100% renewable power. While the company still has a way to go, the target looks attainable at the facility level, though according to Apple's 2015 corporate sustainability report, its facilities make up just 1% of the company's overall carbon footprint. 

Jackson also outlined various other initiatives underway at Apple to reduce its carbon footprint, including its new device recycling program, Apple Renew.  

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