Technology giant Apple is officially entering the electric utility business, applying for a federal license to make it a legitimate player in the energy sector.
The company quietly started Apple Energy earlier this month, applying to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for permission to sell the electricity it generates from wind and solar energy into the state-to-state wholesale power market that the commission oversees.
Not only will Apple be selling the technologies that drain electricity, but it will be selling the electrons to recharge them as well.
In its application to the commission, Apple Energy LLC says it wants to begin selling power effective Aug. 5. The range of areas where it wants to begin selling electricity is ambitious — essentially, the entire country.
Apple is seeking “authority to sell power at wholesale in the Southeast, Southwest, Northwest, Northeast, Central and Southwest Power Pool Regions,” the application submitted to the commission last week reads.
If approved, Apple would join Google as the second major technology company to receive commission authorization to sell electricity. Google received its authorization in 2009.
The industry trade publication Utility Dive reported Monday that the license would give Apple the ability to manage its solar energy assets more effectively by being able to make up for gaps in energy output from one region to the next.
It also says that the license could allow Apple more leeway in implementing electric vehicle strategies that it is looking at, which would include its own fleet of cars and charging stations.
