Google Hopes to Hasten Clean Energy Revolution

Google’s data centers consume an enormous amount of electricity.
That’s prompted the information giant to proactively engage in
the accelerating energy revolution. From Nevada to North Carolina
and many points between, it is gearing up to power the Artificial
Intelligence wave by striking novel relationships with utilities
and encouraging the transformation of energy regulation, state by
state. 


That is the focus of this episode of Grid talk. Host Marty
Rosenberg interviews Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s Global Head
of Data Center Energy.


Google, citing industry sources, says and additional $2.5
trillion must be spent on clean energy over the next six years to
address climate change. 


“What we have encountered is a universal recognition that we are
in a unique moment in time,” said Peterson Corio. “For the first
time in decades, we have real load growth in the U.S.”


Google’s response is to deepen its use of clean energy. 


“We are matching 100% of the electricity we use on an annual
basis with new additional clean energy that we put onto the grid
somewhere in the system or in the world.”


That effort will now be broadened. 


“Our higher standard of our 24/7 carbon-free energy goal actually
takes that a step further and says if we’re truly going to
decarbonize the grid where we operate, we need to make it first
local, meaning we can’t just only sign a new contract for wind or
solar, for example, in the Midwest to offset our data center in
Singapore, right? Carbon is a global problem, but we also need to
find solutions directly where we operate.”


Amanda Peterson Corio has 20 years of experience in energy
project finance, development, and the procurement of renewable
and traditional energy generation. In her current role, Amanda
manages power procurement, energy policy, and energy
infrastructure development for Google’s global data
centers. 


Amanda holds an MBA from The Wharton School of Business and a BA
in Business Administration with Honors from Boston University’s
School of Management.