The struggling wind power industry of California got a much needed boost when Google Inc. announced its decision to invest $55 million in a large Mojave Desert wind farm. The investment is seen as a major step to help the state regain its number one position in the world in field of wind power energy production. Exuberated by the news made public at a gathering in Anaheim, the wind farm developers and turbine makers welcomed the initiative. The internet search giant, which needs huge amount of electricity to run its vast datacenters, is actively involved in exploring and rejuvenating projects related to alternative sources of energy.
Google has taken up the above mentioned project in partnership with Citibank which is also investing an equal amount, i.e. $55 million. The amount will be utilized to partially finance the Alta Wind Energy Center, one of the world’s largest wind installations. The farm, when complete, will produce 1.5 gigawatts that should power 450,000 homes. In terms of revenue, the fact that Kern County economy will be realizing $1.2 billion annually will have a positive impact on the nation’s ailing wind power industry that lost its number one position to China in 2009 as well in 2010. The initiative will also boost wind jobs by 20 percent in Kern County which is struggling with 17.5 percent unemployment.
The investment is a strategic action by Google because at one point of time it was California that led the wind power revolution and produced 90 percent of the world’s wind power. The state’s sad state of affairs is evident from the fact that today, as per Global Wind Energy Council, the state’s share of world wind power has dropped to 1.6 percent. In addition, the state gets only 3 percent of its power from wind energy, while other states like Iowa and Texas get 15 percent and 8 percent power from wind energy, respectively. The major reason for this decline is attributed to the expiration of government incentives.
Besides Google’s investment, the industry also got a major boost by the fact that Jerry Brown, Governor, has signed a legislation which requires California’s utilities to get 33 percent of the electricity they sell from renewable sources by 2020.
Via: LATimes
