Google doubles down on renewable energy

Clearly, renewable energy works for Google.

The internet search company recently announced it’s going to nearly double the amount of clean electricity it uses to power its data centers, committing to purchase an additional 842 megawatts (MW). Google has now procured nearly two gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy, more than halfway to its goal of having a total of 3.6 GW by 2025.

American wind will create the lion share of this new clean power, with Google revealing that it will purchase 625 MW of wind energy from three U.S. projects. Nearly two-thirds of this will come from wind generation in Oklahoma.

Michael Terrell, energy lead for Google’s global infrastructure team, said, “We’re going to get renewable energy any way we can, no matter what it takes.”

And Google’s recent moves show Terrell means it.

In October, the company announced it was building the largest wind farm in Africa, while December’s renewable news included agreements in the U.S., Chile, and Sweden.

In fact, this portfolio represents the largest renewable energy purchases ever made by a non-utility. Google has realized that wind energy can be a key component in going green while saving green.

So the next time need to send an email or suddenly have the urge to know who won the 1996 Heisman Trophy, know there’s an increasingly likely chance the Google services you use will be powered by clean, homegrown renewable energy.