Google said Tuesday it agreed to pay more than $3 billion to procure carbon-free hydroelectric power from Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners, a company with Brookfield Asset Management, to compete to build a larger data center.
The initial contract under the deal includes a 20-year power purchase agreement, the company said it reached $3 billion for a capacity of 670 megawatts from two Pennsylvania hydroelectric plants. The deal is part of a broader framework agreement that will allow Google to raise capacity of up to 3 gigawatts in total.
The deal seeks to raise power in the ever-growing data centers that Google and its hyperschool rivals Meta, Amazon and Microsoft use to house, train and host the AI tools that underpin the current boom in the technology sector.
This new demand for power has brought new life to nuclear energy, boosted gas production and focused on renewable energy. Google itself makes it possible for hundreds of billions of people to lose their strength. Meta has more or less purchased a nuclear power plant. And Microsoft has signed a contract to raise power for 20 years from another nuclear plant that melted almost 50 years ago.
Power aside, renewables offer an engaging opportunity for these companies to continue working towards net-zero targets despite the burgeoning data centers being added to their carbon footprint.
Brookfield’s renewable partner, which operates renewable energy plants in the United States, said two hydroelectric facilities in Holtwood and Safe Harbor, Pennsylvania, will be approved, upgraded or overhauled to meet new requirements.
“This collaboration with Brookfield is an important step towards ensuring a clean energy supply in the PJM region we operate. Hydroelectric power is a proven, low-cost technology that will create jobs and provide reliable, homemade, carbon-free power that will create strong grids for everyone.”
