Microsoft made the biggest renewable energy agreement ever to fuel its AI ambitions

Microsoft conscionable agreed to support nan improvement of 10.5 gigawatts of caller renewable power capacity astir nan world, a monolithic magnitude of energy to substance its AI ambitions and ambiance goals.

For comparison, 10.5 GW of renewable power amounts to astir half nan magnitude of solar and upwind capacity California had successful 2022. This is rather virtually a very large woody — efficaciously nan largest firm statement to acquisition renewable power to date, according to BloombergNEF. Microsoft inked nan statement yesterday pinch Brookfield Asset Management, which said nan woody is almost 8 times bigger than what was antecedently nan azygous largest firm powerfulness acquisition statement ever signed.

BloombergNEF estimates that it could costs betwixt $11.5 to $17 cardinal to build retired that overmuch caller capacity, which is expected to travel online betwixt 2026 and 2030. (Microsoft and Brookfield declined to corroborate nan dollar magnitude connected nan record.)

Brookfield says nan woody allows it to put successful caller renewable power projects crossed nan US, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and nan Pacific. Microsoft would acquisition powerfulness generated successful each caller location.

To beryllium c antagonistic by nan aforesaid date, it’ll request to seizure immoderate remaining emissions it hasn’t been capable to trim pinch cleanable energy. But c seizure is still prohibitively expensive and unproven astatine scale, while star power has go the cheapest powerfulness root successful history.

“Microsoft wants to usage our power and purchasing powerfulness to create lasting affirmative effect for each energy consumers,” Adrian Anderson, Microsoft wide head of renewables, c free energy, and c dioxide removal, said successful a press release.