Amid the surge of tech giants venturing into nuclear power generation, Google has made a new move. In response to the growing energy demands of the AI era, Google has announced a significant partnership with renewable energy developer Intersect Power and investment fund TPG Rise Climate to launch a clean energy project totaling up to $20 billion.
This ambitious plan includes the construction of wind, solar, and energy storage systems, aimed at providing ample green power supply for its data centers. As part of the collaboration, Intersect Power also received an $800 million equity investment from backers including TPG, CAI, Google, and Greenbelt Capital Partners.
Image Source Note: Image generated by AI, licensed from Midjourney
In this innovative energy configuration plan, each gigawatt-level data center will be equipped with wind and solar facilities of equivalent scale, along with energy storage systems capable of sustaining power for 2-4 hours. Google has also committed to covering the necessary grid upgrade costs to ensure a seamless connection between the data centers and the renewable energy parks.
Time is money. The first phase of this project is set to be operational by 2026, with plans for full completion by 2027. In contrast, the progress of nuclear projects appears sluggish: Microsoft’s restart of the Three Mile Island reactor will not happen until 2028, Google’s small modular reactor project with Kairos will extend to 2030, and Amazon’s collaboration with X-Energy is not expected until the early 2030s.
This rapid deployment timeline highlights the unique advantages of renewable energy. It is noteworthy that there are currently 11,860 power generation projects in the U.S. waiting to connect to the grid, with a total installed capacity reaching an astonishing 2.05 terawatts, nearly double the existing grid capacity, most of which consists of solar and energy storage projects.
Against the backdrop of explosive growth in AI computing power demand, experts predict that by 2027, newly constructed AI data centers may face energy shortages. Google's substantial investment in renewable energy not only demonstrates its commitment to green transformation but also sets a new benchmark for sustainable development across the tech industry.