Apple has arranged power purchase agreements for 650 megawatts of new renewable capacity in Europe and signaled more investment in China, sharpening a strategy that takes aim at both its own operations, and the electricity customers use when they plug into Apple devices. The wind-solar mix is intended to reduce emissions tied to the use phase of iPhones, Macs and wearables, a sector that accounts for about one-third of Apple’s total carbon footprint, the company has said.
Europe is the biggest portion of that portfolio: 110 megawatts each in Greece and Latvia for utility-scale solar, with 131 megawatts in Spain and 40 megawatts in Poland; about 99 megawatts of onshore wind is spread across Romania; Italy has a hybrid solar-wind tranche that adds up to 129 megawatts. At typical European capacity factors, the array could produce on the order of 1.5 to 2 terawatt-hours each year — potentially enough to power the annual electricity needs of between 400,000 and 500,000 households, depending on local energy use.
Why 650 megawatts matters for Apple’s clean energy push
The purchase plays into Apple’s trillion-dollar business and an effort, announced in 2020, so that every product it makes will be carbon neutral by 2030 across manufacturing, logistics, customer use and the “end of life” of products. The company has stated that its corporate facilities are already matched with 100% renewable electricity, which means the new frontier is the emissions embedded in supply chains and charging of devices, which are harder to control. Structured as long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs), the new projects strive to achieve “additionality,” underwriting capacity that wouldn’t likely be added without corporate demand — a commonly touted standard from programs like RE100.
The geographic spread is strategic. Southern Europe’s solar complements windier Central and Eastern European assets, smoothing seasonal swings and reducing exposure to local marginal price volatility. Pairing across grids can counteract curtailment and “cannibalization” effects, which can drive power prices in solar-heavy markets negative during midday, as described by BloombergNEF and European regulators.
Supplier clean energy push in China: Separately, Apple will invest $150 million in China to support its suppliers’ transitions to renewable energy. The company says over 90% of its manufacturing and production in China is powered by renewable energy, which comprises onsite systems, direct procurement, and green certificates. The new funds are expected to ramp up rooftop solar, offsite PPAs, and energy efficiency upgrades for component manufacturers. The move is consistent with Chinese wind and solar builds reported by the National Energy Administration and relies on grid reforms that create more buying opportunities for end-users. For Apple’s tier-one partners, a category that includes assemblers and display manufacturers, committing to clean power is increasingly required to stay on the company’s approved supplier list; this signals another policy shift, matching the company’s steadfast signals in recent environmental progress reports. Project mix and grid impact: The assets matter beyond carbon accounting for grid reliability. Hybrid or geographically diverse portfolios can reduce balancing costs and make the most of transmission capacity, a growing concern for ENTSO-E as renewables grow beyond half of generation. Some of these sites may see co-located or contracted battery storage; the International Energy Agency says utility-scale storage costs are falling. Thus the 24/7 match becomes more attractive.
Speed is another lever. Solar projects are commissioned around 12–24 months from final investment decision in Europe, a phased energisation being the norm. That timeline matters as demand from data centers and AI infrastructure increases — Apple’s contracts lock in near- to medium-term supply without relying on long lead-time baseload projects.
How Apple’s clean energy strategy compares with peers
Big tech is still the biggest buyer segment for clean power. How fast the giants are adopting renewable power megawatts — and how much of it they’re locking down on paper, making a goodly fraction a reality — are coming into focus this year with company disclosures such as Meta’s tallying of more than 2 gigawatts in solar procurements and Microsoft signing roughly 1.5 gigawatts in new deals — tangible evidence of an arms race to get low-cost megawatt-hours. Market watchers including BloombergNEF say that global corporate clean energy contracting has established record volumes in recent years, thanks to favorable economics and net-zero pledges.
Apple’s 650-megawatt tranche is modest compared to some of the hyperscale bundles but notable for how it sits across policy regimes. It mixes markets that have well-established corporate PPA frameworks and places where Apple’s anchor role could unlock follow-on deals by industrial offtakers.
What to watch next for Apple’s Europe and China energy plans
Key indicators will be what proportion of the European portfolio has storage, how closely Apple decides to track hourly load and generation, and whether Apple’s program in China exceeds its cap at $150 million if suppliers claim more capacity than they can buy.
Keep an eye on interconnection timelines and permitting as well — factors that can move dates of commissioning by quarters.
Carried out as planned, this buildout would amplify two trends: corporate buyers are increasingly defining the project pipeline in Europe and supply chain decarbonization in China is transitioning from pilot projects to scale. For Apple, it tightens the connection between product use, supplier emissions and actual electrons on the grid — just the sort of integration that is necessary to translate climate targets into specific progress.
