“Apple has taken over a small hydroelectric project at a Central Oregon site near the company’s new data center in Prineville,” Mike Rogoway reports for OregonLive. “Big data centers like the one Apple has just opened in Prineville use huge volumes of electricity – as much as a small city – to power thousands of computers that hold photos, music and all manner of other digital information.”
“The Bulletin newspaper in Bend first reported Apple’s interest in the 45-Mile Hydroelectric Project, which is near Haystack Reservoir, about 20 miles northwest of Prineville,” Rogoway reports. “Prior proposals had described the project as generating 3 to 5 megawatts. That’s enough to power roughly 2,000 to 3,500 homes, but big data centers can exceed 30 megawatts – and really large complexes require significantly more than that. Additionally, plans called for taking the 45-mile project offline when the irrigation canal is shut in the winter months. So Apple’s hydro deal would apparently provide a tiny portion of the company’s electricity requirements.”
Read more in the full article here.