SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Today's announcement offers hope that further investment will pour into the lagging US wind-energy programme. Consistent wind through Montana and the Dakotas, off the South Carolina coast and across the Texas panhandle gives the US windfarm industry an opportunity to supply significant amounts of electricity to the grid.
Google Invests in $5bn Wind-Power Superhighway
The Atlantic Wind Connection Project will serve 1.9m homes from New Jersey to Virginia with electricity from dozens of offshore windfarms
Oct 12, 2010
Google is extending its investment in green technology with a $5bn (PS3.2bn) programme to build an undersea, wind energy transmission backbone along 350 miles of the Atlantic seaboard.
The
grid project, which stands to serve 1.9m homes from Virginia to New
Jersey with up to 6,000 megawatts of electric power from dozens of
windfarms 10 miles off the mid-Atlantic coast, is the most ambitious of
its kind.
Google announced it is working with Trans-Elect and two
other firms, but has not offered a timetable for construction. "This
system will act as a superhighway for clean energy," said Rick Needham,
Google's green-business operations director.
Investment in both
wind energy programmes and the controversial extraction of shale oil
from deposits in North Dakota, Montana and Alberta, Canada, has
increased since the BP spill over the summer caused US lawmakers to curb
permits for offshore oil and gas drilling.
For Google, the
Atlantic Wind Connection Project is in line with earlier investments. In
May, it put $40m into two North Dakota windfarms, its first
clean-energy investment. Two days ago the firm announced it had tested a self-driving electric car on Californian highways.
Today's
announcement offers hope that further investment will pour into the
lagging US wind-energy programme. Consistent wind through Montana and
the Dakotas, off the South Carolina coast and across the Texas panhandle
gives the US windfarm industry an opportunity to supply significant
amounts of electricity to the grid.
But compared with China, now
the leading manufacturer of wind turbines and solar energy equipment,
the US had been comparatively slow in adopting the technology. Public
opposition to windfarms, including a large project off the presidential
holiday island of Martha's Vineyard, has taken years to resolve.
That
may now be changing: the Global Wind Energy Council industry group
estimates wind-power investment may reach $202bn over the next 20 years.
Charlie
Hodges, a wind industry analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, said:
"The North American wind industry hasn't had any players involved with
the motivation and financial heft to really move this market forward.
Google could play that role."
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Google is extending its investment in green technology with a $5bn (PS3.2bn) programme to build an undersea, wind energy transmission backbone along 350 miles of the Atlantic seaboard.
The
grid project, which stands to serve 1.9m homes from Virginia to New
Jersey with up to 6,000 megawatts of electric power from dozens of
windfarms 10 miles off the mid-Atlantic coast, is the most ambitious of
its kind.
Google announced it is working with Trans-Elect and two
other firms, but has not offered a timetable for construction. "This
system will act as a superhighway for clean energy," said Rick Needham,
Google's green-business operations director.
Investment in both
wind energy programmes and the controversial extraction of shale oil
from deposits in North Dakota, Montana and Alberta, Canada, has
increased since the BP spill over the summer caused US lawmakers to curb
permits for offshore oil and gas drilling.
For Google, the
Atlantic Wind Connection Project is in line with earlier investments. In
May, it put $40m into two North Dakota windfarms, its first
clean-energy investment. Two days ago the firm announced it had tested a self-driving electric car on Californian highways.
Today's
announcement offers hope that further investment will pour into the
lagging US wind-energy programme. Consistent wind through Montana and
the Dakotas, off the South Carolina coast and across the Texas panhandle
gives the US windfarm industry an opportunity to supply significant
amounts of electricity to the grid.
But compared with China, now
the leading manufacturer of wind turbines and solar energy equipment,
the US had been comparatively slow in adopting the technology. Public
opposition to windfarms, including a large project off the presidential
holiday island of Martha's Vineyard, has taken years to resolve.
That
may now be changing: the Global Wind Energy Council industry group
estimates wind-power investment may reach $202bn over the next 20 years.
Charlie
Hodges, a wind industry analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, said:
"The North American wind industry hasn't had any players involved with
the motivation and financial heft to really move this market forward.
Google could play that role."
Google is extending its investment in green technology with a $5bn (PS3.2bn) programme to build an undersea, wind energy transmission backbone along 350 miles of the Atlantic seaboard.
The
grid project, which stands to serve 1.9m homes from Virginia to New
Jersey with up to 6,000 megawatts of electric power from dozens of
windfarms 10 miles off the mid-Atlantic coast, is the most ambitious of
its kind.
Google announced it is working with Trans-Elect and two
other firms, but has not offered a timetable for construction. "This
system will act as a superhighway for clean energy," said Rick Needham,
Google's green-business operations director.
Investment in both
wind energy programmes and the controversial extraction of shale oil
from deposits in North Dakota, Montana and Alberta, Canada, has
increased since the BP spill over the summer caused US lawmakers to curb
permits for offshore oil and gas drilling.
For Google, the
Atlantic Wind Connection Project is in line with earlier investments. In
May, it put $40m into two North Dakota windfarms, its first
clean-energy investment. Two days ago the firm announced it had tested a self-driving electric car on Californian highways.
Today's
announcement offers hope that further investment will pour into the
lagging US wind-energy programme. Consistent wind through Montana and
the Dakotas, off the South Carolina coast and across the Texas panhandle
gives the US windfarm industry an opportunity to supply significant
amounts of electricity to the grid.
But compared with China, now
the leading manufacturer of wind turbines and solar energy equipment,
the US had been comparatively slow in adopting the technology. Public
opposition to windfarms, including a large project off the presidential
holiday island of Martha's Vineyard, has taken years to resolve.
That
may now be changing: the Global Wind Energy Council industry group
estimates wind-power investment may reach $202bn over the next 20 years.
Charlie
Hodges, a wind industry analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, said:
"The North American wind industry hasn't had any players involved with
the motivation and financial heft to really move this market forward.
Google could play that role."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.