GOOGLES DATA CENTER POWER PLAYBOOK TAKES SHAPE IN DETROIT
Google’s new power plan for a Detroit data center adds solar, storage and other clean resources with utility DT.
Detroit: Google will use a mix of solar power, energy storage and other clean resources to run its data center in suburban Detroit. The company will work with Michigan utility DTE to add 2.7 gigawatts of power resources.
The plan has 1.6 gigawatts of solar power and 400 megawatts of short-term batteries. Long-term energy storage will add 50 more megawatts. The rest will come from other clean sources like wind or hydro power.
Google will cover some power needs through demand response. This means using less power at busy times or turning off data centers when the grid needs help.
The company will pay extra through something called a Clean Transition Tariff. This helps Google choose clean power and encourages utilities to plan for similar projects. Google had used this tariff before with another energy company.
Google is also starting a $10 million fund to help people with energy bills and home insulation. This sounds similar to what utilities already do but with Google’s name attached.
This follows a similar deal in Minnesota with Xcel Energy. Google has been building or investing in clean power for years to meet its carbon-free goals. Now the company is showing its power plans when it announces new data centers.