Google's Search for 24 x 7 Carbon-Free Energy

In 2017, Google became the first company of its size to match 100% of its global annual electricity consumption with purchases of renewable energy. However, despite the company’s large-scale procurement of wind and solar power, Google’s offices and data centers must still plug into regional electric grids that carry a mix of clean and carbon-based power. That’s why Google is now working toward sourcing enough carbon-free energy to match its electricity demand in all places, at all times. Getting to “24x7 carbon-free energy” will be essential for addressing climate change, but requires answering a challenging question: how can we bridge the gap between existing, variable renewable energy resources and the constant demands of the digital economy? Michael Terrell will discuss Google’s first year charting a course toward 24x7 carbon-free energy -- and what’s to come.