Google hopes to undercut coal with cheap, renewable energy

[Natorgator]

Not sure if this ought to have a Peak Oil tag or not. But in any case I can't believe this hasn't been posted yet:

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc. said on Tuesday the Web services and online advertising group plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in coming years to promote a new push to encourage cheap renewable electricity.

The project, known as Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal, is hiring engineers and targeted investment financing at advanced solar thermal power, wind power technologies, enhanced geothermal systems and other new technologies, Google said.

Google is, in effect, taking advantage of its growing mountain of cash, global brand recognition and mushrooming market capitalization as a pulpit to campaign for alternative energy. The company's leaders argue that the time is ripe for investments in innovative research to cut energy costs.

"Our goal is to produce one gigawatt of renewable energy capacity that is cheaper than coal. We are optimistic this can be done in years, not decades," Larry Page, Google's co-founder and president of products, said in a statement.

One gigawatt can power a city the size of San Francisco.

Google is seeking to capitalize on the recent excitement among Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to apply the risk taking that computer, biotech and Internet businesses are famous for to the field of alternative energy production.

Google's latest moves come as the price of a barrel of oil nears $100 and coal, which produces 40 percent of the world's electricity, faces regulatory and environmental pressures that could drive up prices.

Working with its philanthropic arm Google.org, the company said it plans to spend tens of millions of dollars in 2008 on research and development and related efforts in renewable energy.

Eventually, the Mountain View, California-based company said it will spend hundreds of millions of dollars in "breakthrough renewable energy projects which generate positive returns."

"Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal" is hiring engineers and energy experts to lead its research and development work. It said it will begin on solar thermal technology and will also investigate enhanced geothermal systems and other areas.

Page said Google gained experience in designing large-scale energy projects through its investments in energy-efficient computer data centers. The roofs of Google's headquarters buildings also boasts one of the biggest solar energy installations of any U.S. company.

"We want to apply the same creativity and innovation to the challenge of generating renewable electricity at globally significant scale and produce it cheaper than from coal," Page said in the statement.

It's really encouraging to see such a huge company make such a forward-thinking investment, and hopefully the others will follow suit. They are already running the largest solar complex of any company in the US to run their Google campus in Mountain View. Of course, they also stand to make a mountain of money if the companies they're investing in take off.

[Sea Skimmer]

I wonder how much energy Google uses; I’ve read that a ‘typical’ big server farm can consume over 250 megawatts and I suspect they’ve got more then one of those.

[Natorgator]

They've got huge data centers all over. A friend of mine works at one in Atlanta; supposedly there is close to a half million servers in it and the place covers 5 acres. They definitely have big power bills.

[Androsphinx]

I think the important piece was this:

Working with its philanthropic arm Google.org, the company said it plans to spend tens of millions of dollars in 2008 on research and development and related efforts in renewable energy.

Essentially, they seem to be doing the same work that energy companies the world over are doing, but with some kind of tax break for "philanthropy"? Is that even possible? If it is, they're just diversifying with a lower tax bill. Smart...

[phongn]

Essentially, they seem to be doing the same work that energy companies the world over are doing, but with some kind of tax break for "philanthropy"? Is that even possible? If it is, they're just diversifying with a lower tax bill. Smart...

I'm not sure if this initiative counts for traditional philanthropy; Google.org just happens to be organized so it can be used for investing as well.

[Elaro]

Aha! so Step 87 in the Google World Domination Plan begins!

First, the Internet, then the energy, and soon, the world!

"Do no evil": whimsical slogan, or clever propaganda?

[Adrian Laguna]

Aha! so Step 87 in the Google World Domination Plan begins!
First, the Internet, then the energy, and soon, the world!

Just wait until Nwabudike Morgan becomes their CEO. "In former times the energy monopoly was called "The Power Company"; we intend to give this name an entirely new meaning."

[MKSheppard]

Google is just being "trendy". If they were smart, they'd push NUCLEAR POWER.

[The Grim Squeaker]

Google is just being "trendy". If they were smart, they'd push NUCLEAR POWER.

For some reason, methinks that a Nuclear armed Google with giant radioactive datacenters (Along with their army of Giant laser firing Robots) might increase the ire of the privacy rights activists

[Ypoknons]

It's always easier to go green once you've got boatloads of cash. Firm value, anyways.

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

Google is just being "trendy". If they were smart, they'd push NUCLEAR POWER.

I want them to try Polywell or Dense-Plasma Focus, which apparently they're already talking about. W00t!