Google To Be Powered By 100% Renewable Energy From 2017

Credit: TreeHugger.com
Credit: TreeHugger.com

In what can only be deemed a “landmark moment,” Google’s data centers and all offices for its 60,000 employees will be entirely powered by renewable energy starting next year. It took five years to work out the negotiations for the energy goal set in 2012, but the monumental achievement is to be realized within a period of months.

Google relayed in a statement that intends to go from using 40% clean energy in 2015 to 100% in 2017. Executives say that most of the clean energy will be sourced from wind and solar panels. Additionally, they have not yet ruled out investing in nuclear energy should it meet safety and efficiency standards.

Representatives say that the internet giant is ‘going green’ because of environmental responsibility and because renewables are more cost-effective. Indeed, the company’s website reads:

“Over the last six years, the cost of wind and solar came down 60 percent and 80 percent, respectively, proving that renewables are increasingly becoming the lowest cost option. Electricity costs are one of the largest components of our operating expenses at our data centers, and having a long-term stable cost of renewable power provides protection against price swings in energy.

Marc Oman, EU energy lead at Google, confirmed this when he commented:

“We are convinced this is good for business, this is not about greenwashing. This is about locking in prices for us in the long term. Increasingly, renewable energy is the lowest cost option. Our founders are convinced climate change is a real, immediate threat, so we have to do our part.”

The Guardian relays that tech companies are responsible for about 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions (rivaling the aviation industry), which is why companies like Google are investing in clean energy. Last year, for example, the tech company – which is in charge of other business giants, including Youtube and Gmail – used over 5.7 terawatts of energy. That’s about the same energy used by the city of San Francisco.

This transition is likely to benefit the planet as a whole. What are your thoughts? Please comment below and share this news!


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