Google Invests in Wind Power

Internet search giant Google has announced plans for the long-term purchase of power produced by a 100 megawatt wind power plant being built in Oklahoma.

1 minute read

April 23, 2011, 7:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


"Google's Green Energy Czar Bill Weihl ... told me in an interview on Wednesday that the 100.8 MW wind farm in Oklahoma will be built over the next six to nine months and Google has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement to buy the power. NextEra Energy Resources was looking for an anchor tenant to buy the power, and often, developers can use an anchor tenant to get a better financing rate.

Google wouldn't disclose other financial terms of the deal, but Weihl said over the long term, he expects Google to make a decent amount of money on the deal."

Officials say the move to wind energy could be a test for a possible new model where renewable energy powers its data centers.

Thursday, April 21, 2011 in Reuters

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