Giant solar farms to power Google’s data centres

The deal with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) covers 413MW of capacity

Google has announced it is buying electricity from 1.6 million solar panels to power two of its new data centres in the US.

The deal with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) covers 413MW of capacity – equivalent to the combined size of 65,000 home rooftop solar systems.

The two biggest solar farms, located in Hollywood, Alabama and Yum Yum, Tennessee, will be able to produce around 150MW each.

Google said: “Deploying solar farms does more than provide a cost-effective way to procure clean power. It will also create economic benefits for Tennessee and northern Alabama. TVA’s developer partners – NextEra Energy Resources and Invenergy – will hire hundreds of workers in the region, make long term lease payments to property owners and generate millions of dollars in economic activity and tax revenue for the broader community.”

The company has more than 30 long-term contract commitments to buy renewable energy, which have resulted in nearly $5 billion (£3.87bn) in investment worldwide.

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