Apple Inc. (AAPL) facilities are a major prize that states vie fiercely for, offering numerous concessions that attract other businesses and cause local economic growth beyond that directly provided by the latest branch of the Cupertino, California technology giant. The sapphire glass manufacturing facility that Apple is opening in Arizona showcases the powerful impact of the firm’s activities and its role in spearheading the development of new renewable energy production.
The company’s focus on green energy sources is well known. Its worldwide facilities average 75 percent renewable sourcing for electricity, and its data centers and several other major facilities are run on 100 percent green power. The new sapphire glass plant in Mesa, Arizona will gain 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, spurring the building of new geothermal and solar capacity in the region.
Salt River Power (SRP), a huge Arizona-based government energy company, is the supplier, and its construction of fresh renewable sources continues the shift towards less polluting electricity generation. Apple Inc. is an agent of change in more than one sphere.
Though SRP is a utility company without publicly traded shares, the new plant may provide some peripheral investment opportunities for those who are interested in Apple but want to diversify their portfolio somewhat.
For example, GT Advanced Technologies (NASDAQ: GTAT), the partnering company which will run the sapphire production for Apple Inc. (AAPL) at the facility, posted an 88 cent gain in share value this morning, following the latest news about Apple’s aggressive push to begin production. Though this sounds modest, it represents more than an 8 percent gain over the share price when trading opened today. Just a month ago, share prices were less than $9 each, while they are now trading well over $11.50, part of an ongoing spike that has raised their value by more than 30 percent.
First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) has also posted a 2.69 percent gain in share value today, likely due to its involvement with building the additional renewable capacity needed by the new Mesa plant. Both companies demonstrate how Apple Inc. can create secondary investment opportunities for interested investors beyond its own shares.
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