Subj : Google wants to offset its data center pollution using wind power
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Thu Feb 01 2024 12:00:05

Google wants to offset its data center pollution using wind power

Date:
Thu, 01 Feb 2024 11:55:45 +0000

Description:
To power its data centers on renewable energy, Google is exploring an hourly 
purchasing plan as well as wind turbines.

FULL STORY
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In an effort to become more sustainable, Google has confirmed its largest 
ever deal to secure offshore wind energy for its European data centers. 

The cloud computing giants power purchase agreements with CrossWind and 
Ecowende, which are joint ventures between Shell and Eneco, will support two 
new wind farms off the coast of the Netherlands. 

In a blog post , the company revealed how its new initiative is a crucial 
component of Googles ambitious but seemingly realistic plan to match 100% of 
its data center electricity consumption with clean, green, and renewable 
energy generation by 2030. Google invests in more wind power 

"At Google, we know that climate change is top of mind for many of our users, 
with search interest for energy crisis hitting an all-time high in 2023," 
said Matt Brittin, President, Google Europe, Middle East and Africa. 

"Thats why we are committed to developing sustainable solutions for our 
users, businesses, governments and our own operations" 

In Europe, Google is set to add over 700 megawatts of energy capacity to the 
grid, and the Netherlands project represents a significant part of that. The 
ventures are anticipated to contribute around 6% to the annual electricity 
consumption in the Netherlands. As much as two-fifths of the Netherlands 
energy production now comes from renewable sources. 

At the same time, Google also announced smaller renewable power purchase 
agreements in Italy, Poland, and Belgium. 

Together with previous power purchase agreements, Google reckons that its 
Dutch data centers will now achieve 90% clean energy usage this year. 

While tech companies, including the likes of Microsoft and Apple, have all 
announced plans for more clean energy, its important to note that theyre not 
always necessarily powered directly by renewable energy, but rather, they 
must take what they can from the grid, which comprises part-renewable and 
part-fossil fuel. 

Instead of relying on Renewable Energy Certificates, which have faced falling 
prices recently, Google has also committed to purchasing carbon-free energy 
locally and hourly, in effect encouraging the continuous development and 
subsequent expansion of clean energy production. 

While it may not be as simple, nor as black and white, as just powering 
operations by clean energy, Googles plans do show a promising commitment 
toward reducing its reliance on fossil fuels. More from TechRadar Pro Check 
out the best cloud hosting providers Google going green - new geothermal 
energy plant opens in Nevada Weve made a list of the best cloud storage and 
the best cloud backup tools



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/google-wants-to-offset-its-data-center-pollution
-using-wind-power


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