Data · Wired
A New Google-Funded Data Center Will Be Powered by a Large Gas Plant
Compiled by KHAO Editorial — aggregated from 1 outlet. See llms.txt for citation guidance.
◌ Single Source
A new data center being built with investments from Google will be partly powered by a natural gas project that emits the yearly emissions equivalent of putting more than 970,000 additional gas-powered cars on the road.
Key facts
- In November, Google announced that it would be making a $40 billion AI investment in Texas
- In addition to more than 900 megawatts of natural gas, the Goodnight campus would include 265 megawatts of wind power, according to a separate interconnection request made with Texas’s Public Utility
- Per the Global Energy Monitor research, there are at least 15 projects in development across the US that are larger than the Goodnight campus
- Nearly 100 gigawatts of natural-gas fired power are currently in development throughout the US solely to power data centers, according to research published by the nonprofit Global Energy Monitor
Summary
According to a Texas state air permit application, the Goodnight data center campus in Armstrong County, Texas, will be partly powered by private natural gas turbines that will emit more than 4.5 million tons of greenhouse gases each year. Michael Thomas, the founder of Cleanview and author of a new report on Google’s power strategy for its data centers, says that Google’s focus on and continued commitment to renewables is often held up by environmental groups as an example of Big Tech doing things right.
AI infrastructure company Crusoe began constructing the data center in May, according to local media reports.