Climate change is a major concern for many people, with “energy crisis” searches reaching an all-time high in 2023. Google is dedicated to developing sustainable solutions for users, businesses, governments, and its own operations.
Today, Google is announcing power purchase agreements for over 700 megawatts of clean energy, including its largest offshore wind projects in The Netherlands. This is expected to bring Google’s operations to more than 90% carbon-free energy in The Netherlands, Italy, and Poland, and close to 85% in Belgium in the next few years. It’s a significant step towards Google’s goal of operating on 24/7 carbon-free energy in all data centers and campuses in Europe.
Transitioning from fossil fuels to carbon-free energy sources is essential to address the climate crisis and establish stable, affordable access to energy. Technologies like solar and wind play a crucial role in this transition.
Our largest offshore wind projects to date
Windmills have been a part of the Dutch landscape for centuries, initially used to drain lakes and marshes. Now, they play a significant role in the country’s shift from fossil fuels to carbon-free energy resources.
Google is also announcing its largest offshore wind project ever. Through power purchase agreements with Shell and Eneco, owners of the Crosswind & Ecowende joint ventures, Google will support 478 megawatts of carbon-free energy capacity with two new-to-the-grid offshore wind farms: HKN V and HKW VI. These agreements will aid in the development of subsidy-free offshore wind farms, which are expected to contribute to approximately six percent of the country’s annual electricity consumption, promoting technology innovation and ecological development.
Additional carbon-free energy across Europe
Google’s goal of operating on carbon-free energy around the clock by 2030 requires clean energy solutions in every grid where it operates. Today, Google is also announcing green energy deals in Italy, Poland, and Belgium, bringing it closer to achieving its ambition and contributing to Europe’s electricity systems’ decarbonization.
In Italy, Google has entered into its first long-term Power Purchase Agreement, supporting an onshore wind energy project with 47 megawatts of clean energy generation capacity with Italian energy company ERG. Once operational, this agreement is projected to help Google’s offices in Italy, as well as its Milan and Turin cloud regions, reach more than 90% carbon-free energy on an hourly local basis by 2025.
Following its first power purchase agreement in Poland last year, Google is announcing two additional agreements for 106 megawatts of solar generation capacity with GoldenPeaks Capital. This will add clean energy to the grid, projected to help Google’s offices and cloud region in Poland achieve more than 90% carbon-free energy by 2025.
Google is also announcing two new green energy deals in Belgium, which are projected to help operate its offices and data centers in the country near 85% carbon-free energy on an hourly local basis in 2024. These power purchase agreements will support 11 new onshore wind farms, developed by Aspiravi and Luminus, with a total capacity of 84 megawatts.
Creating greener and more resilient electricity grids in Europe
These efforts are part of Google’s commitment to hasten the decarbonization of the world’s electricity systems, a focal point of its ambitious goal to run its data centers and office campuses on 24/7 carbon-free energy on every grid where it operates by 2030.
In a time when the world depends increasingly on digital services, Cloud computing, and AI technologies, it’s crucial to provide access to technology efficiently and sustainably. Google continues to invest in solutions that can expedite the decarbonization of electricity grids and reduce the strain on local electricity grids by shifting work to other times and places, while maintaining the speed, safety, and responsiveness users expect from Google.
To learn more about Google’s sustainability efforts, visit https://sustainability.google.
