Comments on: Power Marketer Google? http://www.energypolicyblog.com/2010/02/09/power-marketer-google/ Sustainable energy policy, more competition, better regulation, improved policies. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:54:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anna Lochard http://www.energypolicyblog.com/2010/02/09/power-marketer-google/comment-page-1/#comment-178763 Anna Lochard Tue, 05 Apr 2011 21:12:01 +0000 http://www.energypolicyblog.com/?p=944#comment-178763 As assumed in this article, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted Google Energy LLC the authority to buy and sell energy on the wholesale market the 18th February 2010. Google describes this event in its website as “giving to Google the flexibility to procure renewable energy at competitive prices”. In June 2010, Google Energy LLC announced a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement with NextEra Energy Resources to buy 114 MW coming from wind turbines in Iowa. This contract is the first for Google Energy LLC in the US wholesale market. The 114MW could cover the needs in electricity of several data centers. There are different advantages to this contract from Google perspective: it secures a part of Google’s energy needs with fixed prices and gives to Google the flexibility to sell or buy depending on the moment. Furthermore, it affirms Google’s will to become a leader of the “green IT”. As an illustration, Google invests $38.8 million in May 2010 in two Dakota wind farms that generate 169.5 MW -the equivalent of 55,000 household- developed by NextEra Energy Resources. Google also made a development stage investment in a project to build a backbone transmission line off the Mid-Atlantic coast. The project would put in place a 350-mile line which could connect up to 6,000 MW of offshore wind energy. At destination of the public, Google launched Google Earth Engine, project that enables global-scale monitoring of changes in the earth’s environment and could be used in particular to support efforts to stop global deforestation. This innovation, but also the Google PowerMeter mentioned in the article, are representative of Google policy concerning sustainable development -and of course beyond sustainable development, the will of energy independence. It is interesting to see the position of the European hosting company concerning the “Green IT”. The German 1&1, one of the three European biggest hosting companies and one of the 20 world biggest, claims that 100% of its energy comes from renewable sources, in particular from a Norwegian hydroelectric plant. In France, Telecity and Ikoula have also added a green touch to their policy by using special contracts with EDF that ensure a fixed percentage of the electricity coming from renewable sources and by increasing the energy efficiency of their buildings. But beyond those actions, the new NOME act in France could allow some hosting companies to become energy suppliers themselves, along with companies such as Rio Tinto Alcan and ArcelorMittal which already announced their will to become energy supplier. OVH, French leader on the hosting market, is also interested as reported in an interview with Octave Klab, founder and technical manager of OVH. According to Mr. Klab, the tariff increase will not be sustainable for the company in the near future if they don’t pass at least part of the cost increase to the customers, even with the huge efforts in energy-saving already made -water-cooling and air-cooling of the data centers. OVH wants to create a subsidiary for the energy supply and invest 10 million euro in wind turbines project to create fields of 10-20 kVA to supply their data centers independently in 2015. They are also thinking about buying nuclear energy to EDF. Nuclear energy is indeed perfect for a data center which has a really stable consumption of electricity during the day and the year. In other words, OVH is treading the path of Google after the liberalization of the French electricity market. As assumed in this article, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted Google Energy LLC the authority to buy and sell energy on the wholesale market the 18th February 2010. Google describes this event in its website as “giving to Google the flexibility to procure renewable energy at competitive prices”. In June 2010, Google Energy LLC announced a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement with NextEra Energy Resources to buy 114 MW coming from wind turbines in Iowa. This contract is the first for Google Energy LLC in the US wholesale market. The 114MW could cover the needs in electricity of several data centers. There are different advantages to this contract from Google perspective: it secures a part of Google’s energy needs with fixed prices and gives to Google the flexibility to sell or buy depending on the moment. Furthermore, it affirms Google’s will to become a leader of the “green IT”. As an illustration, Google invests $38.8 million in May 2010 in two Dakota wind farms that generate 169.5 MW -the equivalent of 55,000 household- developed by NextEra Energy Resources. Google also made a development stage investment in a project to build a backbone transmission line off the Mid-Atlantic coast. The project would put in place a 350-mile line which could connect up to 6,000 MW of offshore wind energy. At destination of the public, Google launched Google Earth Engine, project that enables global-scale monitoring of changes in the earth’s environment and could be used in particular to support efforts to stop global deforestation. This innovation, but also the Google PowerMeter mentioned in the article, are representative of Google policy concerning sustainable development -and of course beyond sustainable development, the will of energy independence.

It is interesting to see the position of the European hosting company concerning the “Green IT”. The German 1&1, one of the three European biggest hosting companies and one of the 20 world biggest, claims that 100% of its energy comes from renewable sources, in particular from a Norwegian hydroelectric plant. In France, Telecity and Ikoula have also added a green touch to their policy by using special contracts with EDF that ensure a fixed percentage of the electricity coming from renewable sources and by increasing the energy efficiency of their buildings. But beyond those actions, the new NOME act in France could allow some hosting companies to become energy suppliers themselves, along with companies such as Rio Tinto Alcan and ArcelorMittal which already announced their will to become energy supplier. OVH, French leader on the hosting market, is also interested as reported in an interview with Octave Klab, founder and technical manager of OVH. According to Mr. Klab, the tariff increase will not be sustainable for the company in the near future if they don’t pass at least part of the cost increase to the customers, even with the huge efforts in energy-saving already made -water-cooling and air-cooling of the data centers. OVH wants to create a subsidiary for the energy supply and invest 10 million euro in wind turbines project to create fields of 10-20 kVA to supply their data centers independently in 2015. They are also thinking about buying nuclear energy to EDF. Nuclear energy is indeed perfect for a data center which has a really stable consumption of electricity during the day and the year. In other words, OVH is treading the path of Google after the liberalization of the French electricity market.

]]> By: Eelco @ sEVen Software http://www.energypolicyblog.com/2010/02/09/power-marketer-google/comment-page-1/#comment-65804 Eelco @ sEVen Software Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:10:55 +0000 http://www.energypolicyblog.com/?p=944#comment-65804 Google is doing a good job going so green. We are using Google services and we are happy that they have a good sense of the environment. Go Google Go! Google is doing a good job going so green. We are using Google services and we are happy that they have a good sense of the environment. Go Google Go!

]]> By: Sonja http://www.energypolicyblog.com/2010/02/09/power-marketer-google/comment-page-1/#comment-65113 Sonja Fri, 26 Mar 2010 01:18:49 +0000 http://www.energypolicyblog.com/?p=944#comment-65113 Interesting. As long as they go for green power I don't see any problems with google competing with conventional power utilities. I think google's activities could even help to make the transformation to a renewable energy system faster. Interesting. As long as they go for green power I don’t see any problems with google competing with conventional power utilities. I think google’s activities could even help to make the transformation to a renewable energy system faster.

]]> By: Monty http://www.energypolicyblog.com/2010/02/09/power-marketer-google/comment-page-1/#comment-62801 Monty Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:35:26 +0000 http://www.energypolicyblog.com/?p=944#comment-62801 Part of me feels that google are trying to muscle in on too many markets, after dominating search, they're looking at becoming a major player in communications with their mail, their Buzz and their new phone, not to mention the operating system their due to launch soon. Saying that, google are doing what many large companies have done to reduce their energy expenditure and to make the 'carbon neutral' claim to win green support. It's no bad thing... in fact, in the current economic climate, it's sensible! Part of me feels that google are trying to muscle in on too many markets, after dominating search, they’re looking at becoming a major player in communications with their mail, their Buzz and their new phone, not to mention the operating system their due to launch soon. Saying that, google are doing what many large companies have done to reduce their energy expenditure and to make the ‘carbon neutral’ claim to win green support. It’s no bad thing… in fact, in the current economic climate, it’s sensible!

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