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Apple Energy gets federal approval to sell power into wholesale markets

On Thursday, the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted Apple Energy LLC — a recently-created Apple subsidiary — the right to sell energy generated from its solar facilities into wholesale markets.

The Commission decided that Apple Energy doesn't pose a risk of hiked energy prices, Bloomberg reported. Sales can officially begin on Saturday.

Filings for Apple Energy list several assets, including a 130-megawatt solar farm near San Francisco, a 50-megawatt facility in Arizona, and another 19.9 megawatts in Nevada.

Rather than selling to the public, Apple is believed to be using Apple Energy simply to sell excess power to public utilities, helping to offset the cost of running its infrastructure. When and where possible, Apple uses solar as a primary source of "green" power for offices and datacenters.

The subsidiary was quietly established in May, fueling speculation in some quarters that Apple intended to become a true energy provider selling to consumers. That, however, would've required a major investment to connect to homes and businesses.