We partnered with Google to develop a first-of-its-kind 24/7 carbon-free energy solution to supply Google’s Virginia data center campus with guaranteed time-matched carbon-free energy for at least 90% of all hours through a customized mix of solar, wind, hydropower and battery energy storage resources. Together with Google, we’re modernizing the grid to create a path towards a 24/7 carbon-free future.
1%
Data centers account for approximately 1% of the world's electricity use
100%
Amount of annual energy consumption matched with renewable energy by Google in 2017
7 billion kWh
Amount of electricity Google purchased in 2017 from wind and solar farms that were built specifically for Google
Our carbon-free energy alliance with Google
Known as one of the world’s leading technology companies , Google is also a world leader in climate action. Setting the standard by being the first carbon-neutral company in 2007, Google has set and achieved ambitious climate goals to eliminate its carbon footprint. The largest corporate buyer of renewable energy, Google matched 100% of its annual energy consumption with renewable energy in 2017.
To keep the internet running 24/7, Google’s data centers run on electricity 24/7. Powering the internet comes with a huge electricity demand and enormous energy costs, and the emissions associated with Google’s annual electricity consumption comprise the majority of their carbon footprint. To counteract that impact, Google developed a world-leading energy management strategy to power its data centers with carbon-free energy.
As Google continued to scale, its energy demands grew – and energy management requires time and resources that differ from Google’s core business objectives as a technology innovator. AES worked with Google to further integrate sustainability into its operations and develop a holistic energy management strategy grounded in clean, reliable and cost-effective power. The first in the world of its kind, this clean energy procurement deal between AES and Google is a vital step towards Google’s goal to achieve 24/7 carbon-free energy on an hourly basis by 2030.
Challenges AES solved with Google
Before partnering with AES, Google successfully served as its own energy manager for years and continuously met its clean energy goals at a groundbreaking pace. However, implementing and running a holistic clean energy management program requires valuable time, resources and expertise that could instead be spent contributing to Google’s core objectives.
Google announced a world-leading goal to operate on 100% carbon-free energy by 2030 – and set this goal knowing that a 24/7 carbon-free energy solution didn’t yet exist. They needed a way to achieve the highest standards of clean energy by powering its data centers with 24/7 carbon-free energy guaranteed on an hourly basis. AES entered a strategic alliance with Google, combining our respective capabilities, footprint, and experience to accelerate the widespread adoption of clean energy. Through our partnership, we found new ways to work together to accelerate the future of energy at Google and in the energy industry at large.
Google’s 24/7 carbon-free energy, powered by AES
The next frontier in building a sustainable future is ensuring that businesses of every kind are operating on carbon-free energy when and where they have load – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is known as 24/7 carbon-free energy.
Our energy solutions and impact
Energy can't keep working in the same way if we want to fight against climate change. We partnered with Google to solve three major energy challenges, developing new technologies to remove barriers standing in the way of a net-zero future.
By supplying the electricity to power Google's Virginia-based data centers with 24/7 carbon-free energy, AES is laying out a clear roadmap for organizations looking to transition to 24/7 carbon-free energy and accelerate the path toward a global net-zero future. We developed grid virtualization technologies to build a modern, accessible, affordable and green grid that facilitates decarbonization while improving efficiency and reliability, allowing us to predict and plan for weather events and optimize the grid for renewables. We also worked with Google to announce Nest Renew, a service that supports a clean energy future by allowing all utility customers with a compatible Nest thermostat to automatically shift its heating and cooling electricity usage to times when the grid is cleaner.
The 24/7 carbon-free energy, grid virtualization technologies, and digital energy platform solutions we developed are new today, but they will soon become the standard in the electric industry – and the way that organizations of every kind are energized in the future. We’re using tools like artificial intelligence and data analytics to modernize the electric grid, leveraging Google Cloud technology to increase global renewables and developing utility products to virtualize the entire utility operating system. By partnering together, we created a holistic energy management solution that enables Google to meet its ambitious sustainability goals while accelerating the widespread adoption of clean energy on a global scale. A 100% net-zero future is within reach if we all recognize how we can begin transforming today.
Not only is this partnership with AES an important step towards achieving Google's 24/7 carbon-free energy goal, it also lays a blueprint for other companies looking to decarbonize its own operations.
Project outcomes
Through our partnership, Google is achieving the highest standards of clean energy by powering its data centers with 24/7 carbon-free energy guaranteed on an hourly basis to efficiently uphold commitments to a 100% carbon-free future.
