Feds give Apple approval to sell electricity, including near Yerington

Apple, the giant technology company, has received approval from the Federal Regulatory Commission to sell electricity from its renewable energy sources, including one it owns near Yerington.

The federal government gave the approval for Apple to sell electricity across the country Thursday. Apple made the request to sell electricity from renewable and other energy generators it owns in Nevada, California and Arizona June 6.

The company’s electricity it would sell comes from a California solar farm it owns that produces 130 megawatts, the solar farm outside of Yerington that produces 20 megawatts and a solar project in Arizona that goes on the market Saturday that produces 50 megawatts. In total, those energy sources owned by Apple could provide electricity for 100,000 homes.

“Apple uses clean energy to provide 100 percent of the power for its data centers in Nevada, California and around the world - but it still has energy left over. This has implications for everyone, but especially for companies and consumers in Nevada,” said Andy Maggi, executive director of the Nevada Conservation League Education Fund, a member of the RenewNV coalition launched this week to support clean energy in the Silver State. “This is another indicator that fossil fuels are on the way out. We know that other tech giants are making similar investments in Nevada and around the world. Our next challenge is to ensure utility companies and state regulators embrace innovation and these types of renewable energy initiatives at all scales.”