Google announced two new renewable energy power purchase agreements in the UK and Spain, enabling the company to operate at or near 90% carbon-free energy (CFE) in each region by 2025.

The agreements, the first ever long-term PPAs for Google in each country, include deals to purchase 100 MW of offshore wind from ENGIE in the UK, and 149 MW of solar energy from ib vogt in Spain.

Google parent Alphabet announced a 24/7 CFE ambition in 2020, aiming to run its entire business on carbon-free energy by 2030. Operating on 24/7 CFE means matching electricity demand with CFE supply every hour of every day, in every region where the company operates.

Google revealed earlier this year that 66% of its energy use was in line with this target in 2021, but the company also noted that headwinds including a lack of available renewable energy and delays to CFE construction caused by supply chain disruptions and interconnection challenges had slowed progress towards its goal.

While Google has been matching 100% if its electricity use with renewable energy annually since 2017, the company said that the new agreements will enable its cloud regions and offices in the UK and Spain to be matched with local, CFE sources on an hourly basis. The company also said that the agreements will support the construction of new wind and solar farms, adding clean energy sources to their national electricity grids.

In a post announcing the new agreements, Matt Brittin, President of Google Europe, Middle East and Africa, said:

“At Google, we’re committed to being a helpful partner and to finding ways that we can make a meaningful, scalable impact. That means not only reaching our own goal to operate on carbon-free energy around the clock by 2030 – but helping create greener and more resilient electricity grids in the areas where we operate, and helping other businesses, people and governments to reduce their own emissions, too.”

Google noted that its move to carbon-free energy will also help its customers achieve their own sustainability objectives. Many companies globally have been turning the focus of their climate and clean-energy focused efforts to their value chains, which typically account for the bulk of most enterprises’ emissions footprint.

Javier Rodriguez Soler, Global Head of Sustainability of Spanish bank BBVA, said:

“We welcome this additional renewable energy project and Google‘s overall carbon-free energy approach. For BBVA, using Google Cloud’s region in Madrid goes with reducing the carbon footprint of our IT operations and supports our trajectory towards sustainability.”

More By This Author:

Switzerland Adopts Law Requiring Mandatory Climate Reporting For Public Companies, Banks
Closed Loop Partners Launches U.S. Recycling Business With $700 Million Backing From Brookfield
Sustainable Bonds Hit Record Share Of Global Bond Issuance: Moody’s