Google will power its global operations solely with renewable energy starting next year

Over the years, Google has diligently devoted itself to converting its operations to run entirely on renewable energy – and it seems the tech giant is finally approaching its ultimate goal.

In a new blog post, the Big G announced it will power its data centers and offices exclusively with renewable energy starting from next year, in what the company described as a “landmark moment.”

Google is already the world’s biggest corporate buyer of renewable electricity with 44 percent of its power needs supplied by solar and wind farms, but the company is fixing to raise this number to 100 percent by the end of 2017.

“To reach this goal we’ll be directly buying enough wind and solar electricity annually to account for every unit of electricity our [global] operations consume,” said VP of Technical Infrastructure Urs Hölzle.

At present, the company’s biggest energy demand comes from its data servers, whose power needs continue to grow despite efforts to improve efficiency with artificial intelligence.

“Electricity costs are one of the largest components of our operating expenses at our data centers, and having a long-term stable cost of renewable power provides protection against price swings in energy,” Hölzle added.

To mark the milestone, Google is documenting its green energy endeavors in a detailed Environmental Report, where you can find more information about the company’s carbon footprint and sustainability programs.

In addition to this report, the search engine titan has also launched a dedicated website where it will post regular updates about its green initiatives.

Head to the official announcement for more details.

via The Guardian / Engadget