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An aerial view showcases the benefits of integrating solar energy production with agricultural land use. Farmers can lease land to solar developers, diversifying their income while continuing agricultural activities on remaining areas. This synergy supports sustainable development by cutting greenhouse gas emissions and advancing renewable energy adoption.
Google is joining forces with BlackRock to develop a 1-gigawatt solar project pipeline in Taiwan, the U.S. tech giant revealed in a press release on Monday. This initiative aims to increase energy capacity and reduce carbon emissions as the demand for artificial intelligence technology surges.
The collaboration will see Google invest in Taiwanese solar developer New Green Power, pending regulatory approval, to support the development of large-scale solar projects.
While Google has not disclosed the investment amount, the move will enhance clean energy availability on Taiwan’s local grid, aiding Google in its mission to achieve net-zero emissions across all its operations and supply chain by 2030.
This new solar capacity will provide power for Google’s data centers and cloud operations in Taiwan. Additionally, some of the clean energy will be available to Google’s chip suppliers and manufacturers in the region.
“We plan to procure up to 300 megawatts of solar energy from this pipeline through power purchase agreements (PPAs) and Taiwan Renewable Energy Certificates (T-RECS) to meet the electricity needs of our data center campus, cloud region, and office operations in Taiwan,” said Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s global head of data center energy, in a blog post on Monday.
Taiwan is responsible for nearly 60% of the world’s semiconductor production, with an even larger share of advanced AI processors, as reported by global consulting firm EY. Semiconductor manufacturing is highly energy-intensive due to its complex processes.
Despite this, about 97% of Taiwan’s energy comes from non-renewable sources like coal and natural gas, according to the Energy Administration under Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs. This underscores the necessity of expanding renewable energy sources.
“With the rising demand for digital services driven by AI and data-centric technologies, investing in clean energy is essential,” said David Giordano, BlackRock’s global head of climate infrastructure.
In May, Singapore announced efforts to develop green data centers to meet the soaring energy demands of artificial intelligence. The government aims to provide at least 300 megawatts of additional capacity soon through green energy initiatives.
A report by Boston Consulting Group on April 23 indicated that renewable energy development in Asia-Pacific is accelerating, although from a low base. By 2030, renewable energy is expected to comprise 30% to 50% of the energy mix in most regional markets, necessitating significant investment.