Apple acquires a renewable power plant in Oregon

Apple is expanding its use of clean energy to power its iCloud data centers, with the company’s Prineville, Ore., facility now flanked by a small hydroelectric project acquired by the iPhone maker. The company’s new purchase was revealed on Saturday by The Oregonian, which noted that initial proposals for the project indicated it would generate between 3 and 5 megawatts — enough to power 2,000 to 3,500 homes, but still only a tiny amount of the power Apple will need to run the facility

Apple’s been on a bit of a buying spree lately. Embark! Cue! Burstly! If you had to guess the next thing Apple would take under its wing, what would it be? If you guessed “a hydroelectric power project in Central Oregon”, you’d be right! You’d also be a weirdly specific guesser. OregonLive reports that Apple has taken over the efforts to complete a hydroelectric plant just outside of Prineville, Oregon. “Cool!” you say. “But what the hell is a hydroelectric plant?” You know those big wooden water wheels you always see in kitschy paintings of rivers? It’s like that, except with more of that sweet, sweet science. Falling water is used to spin big turbines, which in turn generate electricity. The Hoover Dam, for example, doubles as a hydroelectricity plant.