Microsoft added 389 additional megawatts of renewable energy to its portfolio while the technology giant rushes to meet the necessary electricity requests to correspond to its AI ambitions.
The additional renewable power extends over three solar projects developed by EDP Renewables North America – two in the south of Illinois and one outside of Austin, Texas. Microsoft buys a mixture of electricity to supply its nearby operations and renewable energy credits to cover demand elsewhere.
Microsoft contracts nearly 20 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, according to the company’s sustainable development report 2024. This last purchase adds approximately 2% to the count.
The technology giant has obtained energy from a quick clip to feed its cloud and AI operations. Like many of its peers, Microsoft has adopted renewable power, in part because wind and solar energy can be deployed quickly and at a lower cost.
Solar energy is particularly fast. While the new gas power plants take years to build and order, a new solar farm can start producing energy in as little as 18 months. The developers have planned projects that can be ordered in phases, allowing them to provide data centers with electricity as quickly as possible.
To activate power 24 hours a day, seven days a week, some renewable developers are turning to so -called hybrid installations. Solar and wind are connected to one or more types of batteries, which are loaded when the renewable power flows and discharged when it refuses. Last week, Amazon signed a contract with one of these developments in Portugal.
Renewable energy purchases allow Microsoft to feed its main operations without producing pollution. He can also help Microsoft respond to his commitment to become a carbon negative by 2030. To reach the target, Microsoft will have to kidnap and store more carbon than its operations produce.
To reach negative emissions, Microsoft has also invested in various forms of carbon elimination, including direct air capture, improved rock alteration and reforestation. Last month, Microsoft announced an agreement with the chestnut carbon to buy more than 7 million tonnes of carbon credits, enough to cover around half of the technology company in 2023.
