Future energy by Google
July 21st, 2009 by Elizabeth UlionIn 2007 Google began its alternative energy research effort, RE<C (renewable energy less than coal). The company pledged millions of dollars through Google.org to make electricity from renewable energy cheaper than electricity from coal. A list of grants and investments shows that money has gone to Enhanced Geothermal Systems, solar thermal, and high-altitude wind power.
But are they really doing any good?
“Google is filling a gap in other funding sources, particularly today,” said Glenn Croston, founder of Starting Up Green. “And I think that while they are not the only ones getting involved in the pursuit of clean energy, particularly with massive government efforts getting underway, they are influential.”
Google’s sister energy programs invest in other branches of the energy future including transportation alternatives and household conservation.. RechargeIT has created a fleet of plug-in hybrids at Google’s headquarters and made investments to organizations working on getting electric cars on the roads. Google PowerMeter is an application that appears right on a users iGoogle homepage and tracks household energy use showing consumers what appliances use more energy and where they can save. (This does look really cool!)
“From what I’ve seen their pursuits may have seemed out there not long ago but they are right on track for where things are headed, with clean energy a major economic opportunity this century, starting today,” Croston said.
While there hasn’t been much mention of Google’s energy efforts in the news these days their Web site highlights a lot of organizations that have received Google.org monies and are hopefully hard at work on world saving technologies of the future!
Elizabeth Ulion is a graduate student at Northwestern University.
Photo courtesy of Lollie-Pop/Flickr
