Google Hits a Major Renewable Energy Milestone
- Paul Thurrott
- Apr 04, 2018
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9
![No, Google isn't running its operations on 100 percent renewable energy. But the firm has reached a major milestone in renewable energy purchasing. "Google’s total purchase of energy from sources like wind and solar [in 2017] exceeded the amount of electricity used by our operations around the world, including offices and data centers," Google's Urs Hölzle writes. "For every kilowatt hour of electricity we consumed, we purchased a kilowatt hour of renewable energy from a wind or solar farm that was built specifically for Google. This makes us the first public Cloud, and company of our size, to have achieved this feat." To be clear, Google has not powered its operations solely with 100 percent renewable energy: Such a feat, it says, is impossible. Instead, it is matching its energy consumption with purchased renewable energy which it returns to a power grid somewhere. "That renewable energy may be produced in a different place, or at a different time, from where we’re running our data centers and offices," Hölzle claims. "What’s important to us is that we are adding new clean energy sources to the electrical system, and that we’re buying that renewable energy in the same amount as what we’re consuming, globally and on an annual basis." Google began purchasing renewable energy in 2010. And in December 2016, the firm announced that it intended to achieve 100 percent renewable energy matching for its global operations in 2017. This achievement is impressive, and it dwarfs similar efforts by companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook, each of which also maintains massive datacenters around the globe. Microsoft, in particular, has improved its consumption of renewable energy over the past year, but it still trails Amazon and isn't in the same league as Google.](https://www.thurrott.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/renew-1024x576.jpg)
No, Google isn’t running its operations on 100 percent renewable energy. But the firm has reached a major milestone in renewable energy purchasing.
“Google’s total purchase of energy from sources like wind and solar [in 2017] exceeded the amount of electricity used by our operations around the world, including offices and data centers,” Google’s Urs Hölzle writes. “For every kilowatt hour of electricity we consumed, we purchased a kilowatt hour of renewable energy from a wind or solar farm that was built specifically for Google. This makes us the first public Cloud, and company of our size, to have achieved this feat.”
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To be clear, Google has not powered its operations solely with 100 percent renewable energy: Such a feat, it says, is impossible. Instead, it is matching its energy consumption with purchased renewable energy which it returns to a power grid somewhere.
“That renewable energy may be produced in a different place, or at a different time, from where we’re running our data centers and offices,” Hölzle claims. “What’s important to us is that we are adding new clean energy sources to the electrical system, and that we’re buying that renewable energy in the same amount as what we’re consuming, globally and on an annual basis.”
Google began purchasing renewable energy in 2010. And in December 2016, the firm announced that it intended to achieve 100 percent renewable energy matching for its global operations in 2017.
This achievement is impressive, and it dwarfs similar efforts by companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook, each of which also maintains massive datacenters around the globe. Microsoft, in particular, has improved its consumption of renewable energy over the past year, but it still trails Amazon and isn’t in the same league as Google.
Conversation 9 comments
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Stooks
<p>Hmm that chart looks like it is missing some data. Apple has been using Biogas fuel cells since 2012 at its NC data center, making it the largest user (commercial user) of Bio fuels. They also use them at the new spaceship HQ, which is 100% renewable. Yet they are not on this chart??????</p><p><br></p><p>More needs to be said about the fights against Goolge and other companies when it comes to renewable power. Apple fought NC because they tried to block them from using so much renewable power. No doubt power companies paid off the NC state government to block this move.</p><p><br></p><p>I know in parts of Florida, from the big storms last year, that the power companies there have blocked home owners from installing solar, again paid off the right people. They say its a "safety" issue. Corruption at its finest.</p>