In today’s energy-hungry tech industry, big companies have been looking for ways to supply themselves. However, they also aim to meet environmental goals by ensuring that a significant portion of the energy they consume is clean. Microsoft’s investment in reactivating nuclear plants and Google’s investment in massive solar and wind farms in the US are proof of that.
The Google-backed Orion Solar Belt will generate 875 megawatts in the US
On Friday, Google boasted that it completed the largest purchase of solar energy in its history. In August, the company had said it would invest more than $1 billion in Texas this year for clean energy. Google plans to allocate these investments to power its cloud servers and data centers. In fact, the company has a worldwide long-term clean energy purchasing project of around $16 billion through 2040.
Ben Sloss, a Google executive, and Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Energy Secretary, were at the inauguration of three solar farms built by SB Energy in Buckholts, Texas. The project, called the “Orion Solar Belt,” is one of the largest investments in solar energy in U.S. history, and Google is taking part in it. “Sometimes when you are in the middle of history, it’s hard to tell, because you are in the middle of it… but I’m telling you right now that we are in the middle of history being made,” Granholm said.
The massive expansion of the so-called Orion Solar Belt will be capable of generating 875 megawatts of clean energy. A typical nuclear plant can deliver the same amount of energy. According to Google, the company’s total investments in clean energy projects in Texas have resulted in more than 2,800 megawatts from wind and solar farms.
15% of the energy will go to the state’s power grid
Google will allocate 85% of the solar energy from the project to Ellis data centers and cloud computing in Dallas. The other 15% will go to the state’s power grid to benefit people. The company also ensures the presence of vegetation around the solar panels by keeping thousands of sheep grazing.
As the tech industry evolves, energy sources must grow and improve proportionally to meet the higher energy demand. Not only do big companies require more energy than ever, but so do users. Electric cars are becoming increasingly popular, so their impact on current power generation capabilities must be considered. Large AI-powered projects from companies such as Google are also consuming a significant amount of power.
Ensuring that new energy sources are clean and renewable can be a challenge. That said, it’s good to know that big tech companies are doing their part.
