Last week, we organized EmTech MIT, the annual premier conference by MIT Technology Review held in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Throughout three days filled with key sessions, I gained insights into advancements in AI, biotech, and robotics.
However, as you might expect, some of this climate journalist’s most cherished moments occurred during the climate-related sessions. I was particularly attentive to my colleague James Temple’s dialogue with Lucia Tian, the head of advanced energy technologies at Google.
They discussed the tech giant’s increasing energy needs and which technologies the company is exploring to address it. If you couldn’t attend, let’s delve into that discussion and examine how the corporation is addressing energy challenges amidst the swift growth of AI.
I’ve been monitoring Google’s energy strategies this year. Like the broader tech sector, the company is experiencing surging electricity requirements in its data centers. This upward trend could impede a significant goal that Google has been articulating for years.
In 2020, the firm set forth an audacious objective: by 2030, it aimed to operate on carbon-free energy continuously. Essentially, this means Google would secure enough renewable energy from the grids it operates within to cover its full electricity demand, with the energy procurement aligned to match its consumption in real-time. (For a detailed look at Big Tech’s renewable energy commitments, refer to James’s article from last year.)
Google’s ambition is substantial, and on stage, Tian indicated that the organization is still pursuing it while recognizing that it’s becoming more challenging with AI’s proliferation.
“It has always been an ambitious endeavor,” she remarked. “It’s extremely difficult to accomplish, and the growth only complicates it further. However, our viewpoint is that if we don’t strive toward this goal, we won’t reach it.”
According to its most recent Environmental Report, Google’s total electricity consumption more than doubled from 2020 to 2024. Regarding the objective of continuous carbon-free energy? The company is essentially maintaining its position. It was at 67% for its data centers in 2020, but last year it dropped slightly to 66%.
Avoiding regression is somewhat of an achievement, considering the rapid increase in electricity demands. Yet, the company still has a significant distance to cover before reaching its target.
To bridge this gap, Google has been entering what seems like an endless series of agreements in the energy sector. Two recent projects that Tian highlighted during her presentation involved a carbon capture and storage initiative at a natural-gas plant in Illinois and plans to restart a dormant nuclear power facility in Iowa.
Let’s begin with carbon capture. Google entered into an agreement to procure most of the electricity from a new natural-gas facility, which will capture and store approximately 90% of its carbon dioxide emissions.
This announcement attracted controversy, as critics contend that carbon capture prolongs the life of fossil-fuel infrastructure and continues to emit greenhouse gases and other pollutants into the environment.
One question posed by James during the session was: Why establish a new natural-gas plant instead of retrofitting an existing one? Adding equipment to a currently operational plant would reduce emissions from the current situation, rather than introducing entirely new fossil-fuel facilities.
The company did explore numerous existing power plants, according to Tian. However, she stated, “Retrofits won’t be viable universally.” Space limitations at existing facilities can be a constraint, and many may lack the appropriate geological conditions for underground carbon dioxide storage.
“We aimed to initiate a project that could validate this technology on a large scale,” Tian remarked. This location features an operational Class VI well, designed for permanent carbon sequestration, and it also eliminates the need for extensive pipeline construction.
Tian also mentioned the company’s recent announcement regarding its partnership with NextEra Energy to reopen the Duane Arnold Energy Center, a nuclear facility in Iowa. The company plans to acquire electricity from this plant, which is expected to restart in 2029.
As I reported in a previous article, Duane Arnold represented nearly the last opportunity in the US for firms to reinstate closed nuclear power stations. “Just a few years ago, we were still decommissioning nuclear plants in this nation,” Tian highlighted on stage.
While the specifics of each reopening will vary, Tian emphasized the efforts of the teams working on the restoration of the Palisades plant in Michigan, which was the first reopening to be announced last spring. “They are the true heroes of this narrative,” she remarked.
I’m consistently intrigued to gain insights into how Big Tech conceptualizes energy. While I harbor skepticism, I am certainly keen to observe how Google’s and the industry’s objectives evolve in the coming years.
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