Apple’s 'iDataCenter' to Affect the Environment, Says Greenpeace

The $1 billion data center Apple built in North Carolina will consume some 100 MW of electricity, as much as 80,000 homes in the US, or over a quarter million in the E.U, Greenpeace said in its latest report.

Apple’s server farm, believed to have been created to offer every Apple ID holder a media locker, will go online this spring.

According to Greenpeace, its surrounding energy grid has less than 5 percent clean energy, with the remaining 95 percent coming from dirty, dangerous sources like coal and nuclear.

The estimated full-capacity electricity demand is as high as triple Apple’s current total reported electricity use, says the organization.

“[This] will unfortunately have a significant impact on Apple’s environmental footprint,” Greenpeace stated.

“Apple has been steadily adding to its online offerings, which can be delivered via the cloud from its iTunes platform.”

“Following the phenomenal success of the iPad, the soon-to-be-completed $1bn US dollar ‘iDataCenter’ in North Carolina indicates that Apple is moving to significantly increase its cloud-based offerings to iPhone and iPad customers,” Greenpeace asserts.

Moreover, the environmental organization says Apple has not been as forthcoming on the current or expected impacts of its online products.

“Though many IT companies have pointed to the benefits of downloading entertainment over traditional delivery methods, one of the largest online destinations for such media – iTunes - does not provide any data to evaluate these claims or allow comparison with offerings from other vendors,” Greenpeace said.

Apple’s decision to locate its iDataCenter in North Carolina, which has an electrical grid among the dirtiest in the country (61% coal, 31% nuclear45), is also mentioned as a bad decision on behalf of the Cupertino-based tech giant.

The move, according to the tree hugging group, “indicates a lack of a corporate commitment to clean energy supply for its cloud operations.”

They believe that access to inexpensive energy is a key driver in Apple’s site selection, regardless of its source.

Companies like Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo are also mentioned in the Greenpeace report, with almost none of them ranking too high on the green charts, though Apple is situated at the very bottom.