Google Buys In Wind Energy

[engine]

Google Buys In Wind Energy [googleblog.blogspot.com]

On July 30 we will begin purchasing the clean energy from 114 megawatts of wind generation at the NextEra Energy Resources Story County II facility in Iowa at a predetermined rate for 20 years. Incorporating such a large amount of wind power into our portfolio is tricky (read more about how the deal is structured), but this power is enough to supply several data centers.

[lammert]

(...) this power is enough to supply several data centers.

The problem is, it isn't. Unless Google wants to shutdown some of their data centers when there is no wind, or during heavy storms which would make it dangerous to let the windmills work.

Wind power facilities--and any other energy source which is not continuously available like solar power--can only replace part of the fuel consumption of conventional electricity plants but it can't reduce the installed power capacity of conventional power stations if the energy is needed for 24/7 electricity users like data centers.