Google's energy initiatives point to best practices for IT and opportunities for utilities

November 19, 2021 | Case Study

Despite barriers to Google becoming an electric utility in 2010 when the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted Google Energy the power to sell energy, capacity, and services at market rates, the company has yet to sell power directly to consumers or wholesalers. Instead, Google has focused on its role as a consumer by signing a 10-year supply agreement with AES to build 500 MW of renewable energy assets for $600 million. This infrastructure allows Google to use renewable energy, provided by AES, to power its large footprint of data centers, achieving both a reliable supply of electricity and making progress on its pledge to be a 100% carbon-free business by 2030.