Apple Invests $2B in Solar-Powered Command Center

Apple bought the Mesa facility in late 2013 from solar-panel maker First Solar, and then leased it to GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) in a partnership to produce sapphire glass for touchscreens for Apple devices. But the deal went sour last year, as GTAT filed for bankruptcy in October and shut down the factory. At the time Apple said that its “ambitious” new sapphire manufacturing process was not ready for production.

In an attempt to redeem this failed venture, Apple now plans to power the facility 100% with solar energy as well as build and finance solar projects, according to the state. These projects are expected to produce 70 MW of clean energy, enough to power more than 14,500 Arizona homes.

One of two solar arrays Apple owns in North Carolina to power its data centers. Combined the two make up the largest private clean-energy facility in the United States. The company also is planning a third in North Carolina, another in Nevada, and recently announced it would turn a facility that was planned for sapphire screen production in Mesa, Ariz., into a solar-powered command center for its global networks.
(Source: Apple Inc.)

The center also will act as a command hub for Apple’s global networks, a sizeable investment for the company. It will employ 150 full-time Apple employees and provide 300 to 500 construction and trade jobs in Arizona.

Apple did not comment on its plans for the facility, but Arizona Governor Doug Ducey said he was pleased with the company’s plans. “Apple is by far one of the most innovative and successful companies in the world,” he said in a press release about the move. “Its decision to bring this new facility to Mesa is a huge win for Arizona and a high testament to our business-friendly climate and talented workforce. This expansion will bring a significant economic investment, and propel Arizona's position as one of the best states in the nation in which to do business.”

Ducey’s enthusiasm for a solar-powered facility is curious, though, as Arizona -- despite having copious amounts of sunshine and thus huge solar-power potential -- has been slow to take full advantage of this type of renewable energy due to politics within the state. Apple’s investment in the new facility could help sway policy makers to take a new look at solar energy.

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Apple, on the other hand, has been bullish on solar for some time, owning and managing the largest private clean-energy facility in the US in two solar arrays in North Carolina that each stretch about 100 acres and together produce about 40 MW of energy. The company also is in the process of building a third array of about the same size as the others in North Carolina that could potentially raise the energy output to 60 MW. It’s also building solar-power facilities in Nevada.

What’s interesting about its facilities in North Carolina is that due to state laws, the energy produced by Apple’s arrays is pumped into the power grid, and then the company uses the energy it needs from the grid. In Arizona, Apple will work with Arizona utility Salt River Project to use solar energy through the utility on the project.

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Elizabeth Montalbano is a freelance writer who has written about technology and culture for more than 15 years. She has lived and worked as a professional journalist in Phoenix, San Francisco, and New York City. In her free time she enjoys surfing, traveling, music, yoga, and cooking. She currently resides in a village on the southwest coast of Portugal.