Google strikes a major solar power deal to help electrify its global data centers, pushing forward its clean energy and sustainability goals
Google is acquiring 600 megawatts of solar power to provide electricity to its data centers.
The latest agreement pertains to the development of solar and storage facilities in South Carolina by EnergyRe. The company claims that it has 16 gigawatts of solar capacity in development.
Most of the projects listed on its website have deployed approximately 60 MW to 75 MW of solar power, although a few are larger.
Google has recently made substantial investments in renewable energy sources. Last year, it committed to investing $20 billion with Intersect Power and TPG Rise Climate to construct an adequate number of zero-carbon power plants to supply electricity to several gigawatts of data centers.
Additionally, in January, the organization agreed to acquire more than 700 megawatts of solar projects in Oklahoma from Leeward Renewable Energy.
Google has declared its intention to eliminate its carbon footprint from energy by 2030, a goal shared by numerous technology companies. Google and its rivals had been steadily progressing toward that objective after years of consistent investment in renewables.
However, the expansion of AI and the computing power required to operate it have complicated the equation, necessitating that Google and other companies increase their acquisitions.
In 2023, the final year for which Google has available data, the company contracted 4 gigawatts of renewable power.
Google is not the sole entity in this regard: This year, Microsoft has acquired hundreds of megawatts of solar energy, including a 475 megawatt acquisition in March. Meta executed agreements for 595 megawatts and 505 megawatts of solar energy in January and February, respectively.
