Google Invests $38.8 Million In Wind Energy [Google Goes Green With Large Investment In North Dakota Wind Farms]

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Internet search and services giant Google has expanded its commitment to green energy with a $38.8 million investment in wind energy.  Google has purchased a tax equity stake in two South Dakota wind farms, capable of generating a combined 169.5 megawatts of electricity.

Google has announced its investment in the Ashtabula 2 and Wilton Wind 2 wind farms, both with enough output to power 55,000 homes.  The farms are located in North Dakota, in one of the United States’ best fields for wind power generation.  While these farms may not see a direct connection to Google’s data centers to start, the 169.5 megawatts of power generated by these farms will be used to offset tax costs incurred by Google in other areas.

Rick Needham, Google’s green business operations manager said that its aims to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy makes “good business sense” for the internet services company.  Up until this point, Google had begun its entry into green technology development in startup companies and its own consumer energy tracking tools, but not yet into working energy production.  The move could signal future investments by Google, some that could directly power its data centers and employee campuses throughout the world.