Google funds 100-MW virtual power plant in PJM in landmark demand-response deal
By
Meris Lutz
An everything bagel for the brain. Substantive, layered, well-seasoned.
Summary
Google has signed a first-of-its-kind deal to fund a 100-MW virtual power plant (VPP) in the PJM interconnection, paying other customers to shift their electricity usage rather than building new infrastructure. The approach leverages demand-side flexibility, which Google's global head of data center energy says is often faster and more cost-effective than making Google's own data centers flexible. This deal represents a novel corporate approach to grid reliability and clean energy integration.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledGoogle has worked to make its data centers flexible, the company’s global head of data center energy told Utility Dive, but it’s often faster and more cost effective to pay other customers to shift their electricity usage.
This is a first-of-its-kind deal that could reshape how large energy buyers approach grid reliability.
The virtual power plant model allows Google to support grid stability without building new physical infrastructure.
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