First, TruthOut originally claimed that Apple did not have ANY solar-power systems at all at its North Carolina data center. 100% False.
The building at the top of the photo is Apple's North Carolina Data Center.
The fields of solar cells are the solar-power farm.
Apple is building $2 billon worth more.
"To Apple's credit, though the company's executives are lying about using it, Apple is in fact generating 167 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy at the facility via its two solar arrays and fuel cells. However, for unknown reasons, Apple chooses to sell the energy it creates to Duke. Sam Watson, general counsel of the North Carolina Utilities Commission, confirmed this arrangement in June 2015. -- TruthOut report from August 2015
When that turned out to be an unviable claim, TruthOut turned to claiming that Apple was actually selling the power they generated for some reprehensible reason instead of using it themselves! They had no idea why Apple would build this huge plant, but then to turn around and sell the clean energy and then buy dirty power? How horrid is that?
Well, you can't educate stupid people, but there is a completely rational reason. To assure continuous energy to the data center, Apple arranged a means guarantee that. . . and to sell its excess power generation to the local power grid run by Duke Energy (a very large company which has many varied sources of energy in its grid from which customers can buy energy). Apple thus sells that 167 million kilo-watt hours of solar and bio-fuel generated power into the grid instead of having to invest in batteries to store it until it needs to use it. This offsets Duke's need to BUY more coal to generate electricity. Apple then buys BACK somewhat less power from Duke than the sell to Duke as needed to power the Data Center. Every co-generation large scale system does this. Nothing unusual or fraudulent about it. It is good power management.
Until Apple reached 100% capability for its solar and bio-fuel systems, Apple arranged to buy power from other non-coal power sources in Duke's grid system. Counting the power Apple pumped into the system and the power they bought from other renewable sources, Apple was indeed 100% powered by renewable sources. Renewable sources INTO the grid, renewable sources OUT of the grid. 100%.
Then the author of this absurd hit piece pulls this NEXT accusation against Apple out of his stupid Liberal A$$! He literally accuses Apple of . . .
"2: Concealing that the vast majority of computer energy use comes from coal-powered manufacturing and the coal-powered Internet."
The author of this HIT PIECE really jumps the shark with that piece of calumny and illogicality. The idiot author imputes the power usage of every single Apple product USER to Apple's power usage and dings Apple with it!
Epstein calls Apple a liar for not counting the power consumed by Apple's customers as its own power consumption. ABSURDITY ON ITS FACE! Does he hold the gasoline usage of automobile owners' as somehow part of the fuel bill of the companies who manufactured that automobile? SHEESH! What a Maroon.
I would also love to know how Apple Consumers can get in on the gravy train Epstein claims Apple uses to succeed in this "fraud." He further claims Apple. . .
"1: Paying off other companies and consumers to give Apple "green credits" for its coal electricity usage."
Epstein makes this amazing accusation but then doesn't provide an iota of evidence or even explain how he comes to this absurd conclusion. Instead, Eptein goes on an extended expedition around the barn about grid energy supplies and Germany, claiming that Apple's solar power farm is a parasite on said grid (again, without evidence or justification in anything except his own overblown ego), takes a side trip to China, wanders into Macs, and iPhone battery charging, and somehow reaches a conclusion never connected by any tracks to any thing bearing any relationship to facts.
Apparently Epstein needs a road map to find his way to the toilet from the hallway in his own house.