The tech company has signed a deal to indirectly pay Mid-Atlantic residents to reduce their power demand when the grid is strained.
Google will indirectly pay Mid-Atlantic residents to reduce their power use when the grid is strained as a way to ensure enough energy remains available for the tech company's data centers. On Oct. 22, Google announced that Voltus, a virtual power plant company, agreed to provide Google with up to 1,070 megawatts of electric capacity as necessary for its data centers. To get that power, Voltus will give homes and businesses financial incentives to reduce their power demand when the grid is strained — or, to let Voltus reduce it for them.
“Many of these reductions could occur automatically, such as through smart thermostats that dial back air-conditioning during peak summer hours or batteries that can provide temporary on-site power,” Brad Plumer writes for the New York Times.
Voltus says that if thousands of businesses and homes agree, within a few years it can reliably provide Google with plenty of extra electricity when needed. While tech companies will likely need to continue investing in traditional power plants for their data centers, virtual power plants may offer a faster and more environmentally-friendly approach for the time being.
Read the full story: To Make Way for Data Centers, Google Will Pay Others to Use Less Power
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