Microsoft and Google both make investments in renewable energy to power their data centers
November 26, 2022 By Monica Green
(Image Credit Google)
Both Google and Microsoft have announced new agreements to access renewable energy sources for their data centers in an effort to lessen the environmental impact of their IT operations.
The Register reports that French utility company Engie and Internet search engine Google have signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) under which the latter will utilize 100 MW of electricity from Scotland's Moray West offshore wind farm to power Google's UK facilities.
Google has also stated that the new agreements will assist the company in achieving its goal of utilizing only renewable energy for all of its operations in the UK, including data centers, by 2030.
By 2025, it expects to be close to 90% carbon neutral thanks to the most recent PPA with Engie.
In a statement, Google EMEA President Matt Brittin noted that people in the UK and Europe are becoming more concerned about climate change and the security of their energy supply.
We share that concern and think technology can assist find a solution, he added, both by lowering our own emissions and by encouraging others to do the same. Research on massive floating wind turbines will start in Japan; new models will be three times larger than those already in use.
Microsoft apparently made its own PPA announcements at the same time, encompassing more than 900MW of extra renewable energy generation for the company's Irish data centres.
Although other sources have identified the Norwegian energy firm Statkraft and Ireland's Energia Group as being involved, Microsoft did not disclose the suppliers for its renewable energy partnerships. The energy used in these transactions is a mix of wind and solar systems.
Microsoft claims that by the year 2025, all of its Irish data centres will be powered by renewable energy from brand-new initiatives supported by PPAs like these.
Iterative Measures
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According to research done by the International Energy Agency, data centres use about 1% of the world's total electricity usage (IEA).
According to The Register, both businesses have previously decided to boost the amount of US renewable energy they purchase, so this choice makes perfect sense.
Microsoft and AES Corporation recently agreed to a 20-year deal to supply its California data centers with renewable energy from a portfolio of 110 MW solar and 55 MW four-hour storage projects.