Google has signed a landmark $3bn (£2.4bn) agreement to purchase up to 3GW of hydropower from Brookfield Asset Management, in what is billed as the largest corporate clean power pact for hydroelectricity. The deal, announced on Tuesday, will supply electricity from two hydropower facilities in Pennsylvania to support the tech giant’s rapidly expanding data centres across the eastern United States.
The initial 20-year power purchase agreements will see Brookfield upgrade and relicense the two sites as part of the arrangement. Google plans to extend the deal to other parts of the mid-Atlantic and Midwest, according to the company. The announcement coincides with Google’s broader investment of $25bn in data centres in Pennsylvania and neighbouring states over the next two years, as reported by Semafor.
The technology industry’s hunger for clean electricity has surged due to the growth of artificial intelligence and cloud computing, driving US power consumption to record highs after nearly two decades of stagnation. Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Google parent Alphabet, discussed the deal at an AI summit in Pittsburgh, where former President Donald Trump also unveiled $70bn in AI and energy investments.
“This collaboration with Brookfield is a significant step forward, ensuring clean energy supply in the PJM region where we operate,†said Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s head of data centre energy. Over the past year, Google has struck several pioneering power purchase agreements, including for carbon-free geothermal energy and advanced nuclear power. It is also working with PJM Interconnection, the largest US grid operator, to use AI to accelerate grid connections for new power supplies.
