Computerworld - Google Inc. said today that it will invest in developing ways to create electricity from renewable energy sources that will be cheaper than the electricity produced from coal.
Google said it will hire engineers and energy experts to head up the research-and-development work for the initiative, known as RE "We have gained expertise in designing and building large-scale, energy-intensive facilities by building efficient data centers," said Page in the statement. "We want to apply the same creativity and innovation to the challenge of generating renewable electricity at globally significant scale, and produce it cheaper than from coal." Page said Google's goal is to produce 1 gigawatt of renewable energy capacity that is cheaper than coal. "We are optimistic this can be done in years, not decades," he said, adding that 1 gigawatt is the amount needed to power a city the size of San Francisco continuously. Page said that if Google achieves that goal and renewable energy sources prove to be able to produce electricity more cheaply than coal can -- and can do so on a large scale, then the world could significantly reduce carbon emissions. "We expect this would be a good business for us as well," he said. Google.org, Google's philanthropic arm, will invest in the RE Google said today's announcement is just the latest step in its commitment to a clean and green energy future.
Read more about E-business in Computerworld's E-business Topic Center.
Free Insider GuideCopyright © 1994 - 2012 Computerworld Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Computerworld Inc. is prohibited. Computerworld and Computerworld.com and the respective logos are trademarks of International Data Group Inc.
