Google to Start a Green Utility?

January 8th, 2010 by Zachary Shahan

Google is doing a lot these days to help the environment. Now, they have just filed to buy and sale wholesale electricity. Are they looking to enter the utility market?

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Google has recently launched software to help track and monitor deforestation, it has coordinated with various environmental organizations and climate activists to give us four great Google Earth climate and rainforest tours on youtube, it is working to create more efficient and cost-effective solar thermal technology, and it has unleashed its PowerMeter energy management software.

Now, there is speculation that Google wants to enter the utility market and help spread renewable energy more quickly.

On December 16, Google created a subsidiary called Google Energy. No, it’s not about the energy you get every time you see one of their great new holiday graphics or find out about another great Google feature. This is about clean, renewable energy for powering our homes, businesses, computers, etc.

This week, Google filed a formal request to the FERC, the federal agency that oversees the US grid, to buy and sell wholesale energy. Niki Fenwick, a spokeswoman for Google, says that it just wants greater flexibility in buying energy for its own operations. “Right now, we can’t buy affordable, utility-scale, renewable energy in our markets,” she said, and if they could buy and sell energy on the wholesale market that would make it easier for Google to “buy the highest-quality, most affordable renewable energy wherever we can, and use the green credits [that come with it].”

However, with all of Google’s recent moves in the energy sector, this is making some people think that Google may venture into a role as a green utility in the future.

Google’s “Green Energy Czar”, Bill Weihl, who “is charged with pursuing the company’s stated goal of making renewable energy, through a mix of internal research and external investments, cheaper than coal,” talked with the New York Times recently about Google’s role in the clean energy industry. Although he doesn’t mention specific “Google green utility” plans, he does talk about the company’s investment strategy, which includes putting 10% into “wacky stuff” — things he says people may look at and say, “I don’t see any relationship between that and Google’s business.” but then 5 years later may say, “Whoa, it’s a good thing you guys thought about that.”

Furthermore, he says, “So the stuff we’re doing under the Google.org umbrella on alternative energy, some of it doesn’t connect very closely to Google’s core business, some of it does, and that’s O.K.”

So, who knows, a green utility from Google may be around the corner. What do you think, will Google surprise us yet again and start a green utility?

via BusinessGreen & The New York Times

About the Author

Zachary Shahan spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as the director/chief editor. Otherwise, he's probably enthusiastically fulfilling his duties as the director/editor of Solar Love, EV Obsession, Planetsave, or Bikocity. Zach is recognized globally as a solar energy, electric car, and wind energy expert. If you would like him to speak at a related conference or event, connect with him via social media. You can connect with Zach on any popular social networking site you like. Links to all of his main social media profiles are on ZacharyShahan.com.

http://www.greencollareconomy.com Casey Verdant

This is a really interesting move on Google’s part to power its own data centers and make a grab at one of the most profitable sectors of American industry. Let’s hope Google Energy is as green and creative as Google’s other subsidiaries.

If you’re interested in alternative energy and green tech, check out http://www.greencollareconomy.com. It has hundreds of case studies on emerging green technology. It’s also the largest b2b green directory on the web.
http://www.greencollareconomy.com Casey Verdant

This is a really interesting move on Google’s part to power its own data centers and make a grab at one of the most profitable sectors of American industry. Let’s hope Google Energy is as green and creative as Google’s other subsidiaries.

If you’re interested in alternative energy and green tech, check out http://www.greencollareconomy.com. It has hundreds of case studies on emerging green technology. It’s also the largest b2b green directory on the web.
Brian N

I see Google’s biggest potential here is to drive smart metering as a step to drive smart power to match loads dynamically to regulate intermittent REs.

That increases RE’s low capacity factor and helps them grow to a higher % of total generation. Commensurate storage like pumped hydro will still be needed if REs get big enough.

Dynamic loads could include charging EVs, dumping electricity for secondary home/water heating.

I hope that Google will gain an influential position in energy circles to advocate multiple non carbon energy power emphasizing the most economic and quickest to build options. I know they know about Thorium LFTR for cheaper than coal electricity and will whisper it to top people.
Brian N

I see Google’s biggest potential here is to drive smart metering as a step to drive smart power to match loads dynamically to regulate intermittent REs.

That increases RE’s low capacity factor and helps them grow to a higher % of total generation. Commensurate storage like pumped hydro will still be needed if REs get big enough.

Dynamic loads could include charging EVs, dumping electricity for secondary home/water heating.

I hope that Google will gain an influential position in energy circles to advocate multiple non carbon energy power emphasizing the most economic and quickest to build options. I know they know about Thorium LFTR for cheaper than coal electricity and will whisper it to top people.