Google Partners with BlackRock to Develop Solar Energy Projects in Taiwan

Google announced a significant partnership with BlackRock on Monday to develop a 1 gigawatt pipeline of new solar capacity in Taiwan. This move aims to increase energy capacity and reduce carbon emissions in the face of rising demand fueled by the artificial intelligence boom. The collaboration involves a capital investment in Taiwanese solar developer New Green Power, a BlackRock portfolio firm, to facilitate the expansion of large-scale solar projects. This investment, however, is pending regulatory approval.

Investment Goals and Impact

Google has not disclosed the specific amount of its investment in New Green Power. The primary objective is to enhance the clean energy infrastructure on Taiwan’s local electricity grid, aiding Google in its ambitious target of achieving net-zero emissions across all operations and its value chain by 2030. This new solar capacity will be instrumental in powering Google’s data centers and cloud region in Taiwan. Additionally, a portion of this clean energy will be made available to Google’s chip suppliers and manufacturers in the region.

Solar Energy Procurement

Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s global head of data center energy, stated in a blog post that Google expects to procure up to 300 megawatts of solar energy from this pipeline through power purchase agreements (PPAs) and associated energy attribute certificates (Taiwan Renewable Energy Certificates or T-RECS). This energy will meet the electricity demands of Google’s data center campus, cloud region, and office operations in Taiwan.

Commitment to Clean Energy

David Giordano, BlackRock’s global head of climate infrastructure, emphasized the importance of investing in clean energy amid growing demand for digital services driven by AI and data-centric technologies. This partnership reflects Google’s commitment to sustainable development and its strategic efforts to align with global climate goals.