Apple buys 100 hectares for its third solar plant in North Carolina

Apple on Monday reached an agreement with the city council of Claremont , North Carolina to acquire 100 hectares of land for another 17,5-megawatt solar park , which is estimated to cost approximately $55 million.

Apple acquires hectares for a solar park

According to what has been approved by the Claremont city council, this latest Apple solar park will consist of 100 hectares of land on the city limits and is estimated to generate about 75 jobs , which Apple confirmed to the local news source, reports the Hickory Daily Record.

The land purchased is valued at $1,4 million , but Apple will offer two parcels to the city for use as green spaces, recreational areas, or other public works projects the city may wish to undertake. According to reports, the donated parcels have a combined value of $96.000.

After Apple obtained the necessary permits for land use and met other development-related requirements, construction of the solar park is expected to be completed within five years.

The solar farm under construction in Claremont will be Apple's third in the Maiden, NC area. The iCloud data center, which also has its own solar farm, supplies electricity to the data center. In September 2012, Apple acquired 200 hectares of land nearby in Conover, designated for another 20-megawatt solar farm.

As reported by Apple's VP of Environmental Initiatives, Lisa Jackson, the company's data centers are powered by 100% renewable energy sources, such as solar and biogas , which make up 94% of its corporate infrastructure. Jackson's next goal is to completely take Apple stores offline.