Google Directly Invests In Wind Power Project in North Dakota

Google has invested $39 million in a 160-megawatt wind farm in North Dakota, marking the first time that the search engine giant has made a direct investment in a wind energy project. Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org, has previously invested in renewable energy startups, such as the solar thermal companies eSolar and Brightsource. But the North Dakota wind power investment comes directly out of Google’s treasury and represents the company’s growing involvement in the renewable energy industry. A Google spokesman said, “You can think of it as a way to diversify our cash holdings while investing in an area that we think is important to support.” In February, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved Google’s application to buy and sell electricity on government regulated wholesale markets. Google is one of many Silicon Valley companies increasingly adopting and investing in renewable energy technologies.