GOOGLE CALLS ON UTILITIES TO GROW NEW ENERGY

Google Sees Renewable Energy Tariffs as New Utility Product

Andrew Herndon, April 19, 2013 (Bloomberg News)

“Google Inc. (GOOG), which has invested more than $1 billion in renewable energy projects and buys wind- generated electricity, said utilities should offer large customers more options for using clean power…[through] a new tariff structure that allows companies to request and purchase renewable energy directly from their utilities…

“Google, the operator of the world’s largest Internet search engine, is funding projects ranging from rooftop solar power at homes to desert solar-thermal systems and two of the world’s largest wind farms. It also buys wind power from two facilities in Oklahoma and one in Iowa and has installed solar panels on its corporate headquarters…[but it has become complicated] because Google resells the electricity on the wholesale market after retiring the associated green-energy credits…”

click to enlarge

“…Duke Energy Corp. (DUK), the largest U.S. utility owner, is developing a program in North Carolina that would sell clean energy directly to large customers that opt into the service without raising prices for other ratepayers. The proposal will be filed with state regulators within 90 days…Google plans to participate…[along with] a $600 million expansion of its data center in Lenoir, North Carolina…

“…Utilities owned by Dominion Resources Inc. and NV Energy Inc. (NVE) have introduced similar proposals…[More than 60 percent of Global Fortune 500 companies have renewable energy or greenhouse gas reduction targets, though utilities aren’t doing enough to satisfy demand, Google said]…”

Tweet