Google Boosts Its Energy Capabilities with New Green Energy Partnership LeapRate

CNBC reported that the tech giant will partner with BlackRock, Inc. (BLK), which backs New Green Power, to create a one-gigawatt pipeline of new solar power in Taiwan. Based on the media report, Google will invest equity in the venture and “facilitate the construction of its large-scale solar pipeline.”

Google did not disclose exactly how much it is investing. The deal still needs to go through Taiwanese regulatory channels for approval.

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The partnership will have a dual benefit: It will boost green energy use in Taiwan and help Google achieve net zero emissions by 2030. In addition to helping run data centers, the company said a portion of this newly generated clean energy will go toward Google’s chip alliances in the country. Amanda Peterson, global head of data center energy, added:

We expect to be able to procure up to 300 (megawatts) of solar power from this pipeline through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and their associated Energy Attribute Certificates (Taiwan Renewable Energy Certificates or T-RECS), which will help us meet the electricity needs of our data center, cloud region and offices in Taiwan.

According to CNBC, about 60% of all microchips come from Taiwan. Semiconductor manufacturers are high-level energy consumers. David Giordano, global head of climate infrastructure at BlackRock, said:

With the growing demand for digital services powered by AI and data-driven technologies, investing in clean energy is becoming a necessity.