In what is a surprise move to some, and logical progression to others, Google is seeking government authority to buy and sell electricity in the United States. In a document filed last month with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and obtained by AFP, Google indicated that its Google Energy unit asked for “market-based rate authority.” What this basically means is that Google is seeking the authority to buy and sell electricity at wholesale prices.
Why?
So why would Google, better known for its search engine, advertising, and IT empire, be interested in buying and selling electricity? Well, the company itself has been putting quite a lot of time, effort and money into many ‘non-computing’ sustainably-related ventures over the past few years and has publicly stated that it intends to make its entire operation carbon-neutral within the next decade. Its Google Energy unit is an entire division of the company dedicated to all varieties of things relating to energy-efficiency, grid-efficiency, solar power, and list goes on.
For Google, ‘going green’ is more than a marketing ploy; it’s a real direction and commitment for the company. The company has one of the largest privately owned solar arrays in the country and has made more strides in renewable energy technology efficiency and development in the past few years than most governmentally-funded agencies have done in the past few decades. Niki Fenwick, a Google spokeswoman, told CNET that the company wanted to become a player on the power grid. ”Right now, we can’t buy affordable, utility-scale, renewable energy in our markets,” Fenwick said.
It’s still too early to really speculate on what Google’s ultimate goal is with this recent request, but it’s fair to assume that the company is taking the initiative once again to get things moving at a pace faster than a snail’s by trying to consolidate the necessary logistical parts of a renewable energy supply and distribution system under its own brand. Google has rarely failed at anything it’s set it’s mind to, so it will be interesting to see how the future plays out on its latest aspiration.
The Good: Google has the resources, will and knowhow to achieve pretty much anything it sets its sites on.
The Bad: Even the best companies can become over-extended; Google is no exception.
The Bottom-Line: With Google continuing to delve into the renewable energy market, it only seems natural that it would begin to take steps toward controlling the clean energy it plans to produce and/or consume
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