Edible Apple

Organizations like Greenpeace routinely love to criticize Apple for alleged environmental improprieties. But in reality, Apple is one of the more environmentally conscious companies around and is often the target of Greenpeace because they want to attract as much public attention as possible and, well, there’s no better way to spice up a headline than to chastise Apple.

That said, Apple, along with nearly every other high-tech electronics company, undoubtedly has a lot of room to improve. Still, it’s made a number of strides over the past few years.

As you might already know, Apple recently opened up its ginormous Data Center down in Maiden, North Carolina. The Data Center was built on part of a huge swath of land Apple purchased in 2009. Now, the Charlotte Observer is reporting that Apple has already began work to convert farm areas adjacent to the Data Center into a Solar Farm capable of helping power its new 500,000 square foot Data Center.

Permits issued by Catawba County show that the Cupertino, Calif., company has been approved to reshape the slope of some of the 171 acres of vacant land it owns on Startown Road, opposite the data center, in preparation of building a solar farm.

Apple did not immediately respond to an email from The Observer with questions about the solar farm. But the company’s website says Apple prides itself on using sustainable energy in some of its facilities. Its plants in Austin, Texas; Sacramento, Calif.; and Cork, Ireland, are 100 percent powered by renewable energy…

The engineering plans show how the company will keep soil that it moves around the site from washing into creeks and other areas. The permit has no detail about the solar farm itself, including its size. A Charlotte firm is listed on the erosion control permit as the contractor.

While Apple has yet to officially issue comment about its plans to develop a solar farm, information will be made available once Apple formally applies for a building permit for the property.