At Microsoft, we search to allow a decarbonized grid for our firm, our prospects, and the world. It’s a part of our dedication to help a extra sustainable future and grow to be a carbon unfavorable firm. We’re dedicating important assets to advancing this objective and including carbon-free electrical energy and capability within the grids the place we function.
In the present day, we’re asserting a energy buy settlement (PPA) with Constellation that may allow the restart of an 835 megawatt (MW) nuclear facility in Pennsylvania that was retired in 2019. This may carry a major provide of net-new, dependable, carbon-free electrical energy to the PJM energy grid, the regional transmission group protecting 13 states, recognizing the significance of nuclear power and complementing our 34 gigawatt (GW) contracted renewable power portfolio in 24 nations.
As highlighted by the Worldwide Power Company, full grid decarbonization would require a multi-technology method with a broad vary of carbon-free applied sciences reminiscent of wind, photo voltaic, geothermal, clear hydrogen, sustainable biomass, nuclear, fusion, power effectivity, and storage, in addition to transmission infrastructure to attach these applied sciences to the grids that want them.1 Alongside our intensive work on carbon discount and carbon removing, Microsoft embraces this multi-technology method as an important pathway to reaching our objective of turning into carbon unfavorable by 2030.
Carbon discount
Discover our method to carbon discount
As we proceed to develop our portfolio of options to speed up the power transition, we collaborate with governments, communities, builders, and power service suppliers in some ways. On this weblog, I’ll share extra about how we method our work to (1) form market demand for carbon-free electrical energy and (2) advance power coverage by advocacy.
Shaping market demand to speed up the addition of carbon-free electrical energy
We make use of a variety of contracting mechanisms to fulfill our objectives and safe carbon-free electrical energy, crafting modern settlement buildings alongside our massive portfolio of renewable PPAs. A number of examples:
- Our just lately introduced five-year international settlement with Brookfield Renewable Companions supplies a pathway for the event of greater than 10.5 gigawatts of latest renewable power capability in america and Europe, nearly eight instances bigger than the most important company PPA ever signed. This settlement supplies an incentive for Brookfield to construct a big portfolio of latest renewable power initiatives within the coming years, contributing to the decarbonization of the grid, and matched to the places the place Microsoft consumes electrical energy.
- In Washington state, our settlement with Powerex matches hourly datacenter demand with direct deliveries of carbon-free hydro, photo voltaic, and wind energy on a 24-hour foundation all year long. In the course of the day, when our contracted renewable assets produce extra energy than wanted, Powerex takes the excess renewable energy, conserving water from hydropower reservoirs and successfully storing it like a battery. This power can then be delivered again to the datacenter in later hours, for instance at evening when wind and photo voltaic sources could also be offline.
- As a world firm dedicated to decarbonization on a world degree, Microsoft additionally has labored to develop renewable power in communities and places that usually should not prioritized. An instance of this distinctive method was our five-year framework settlement with Pivot Power to develop as much as 500 MW of community-scale photo voltaic power initiatives throughout the US between 2025 and 2029. The settlement will allow Pivot to develop roughly 150 US photo voltaic initiatives in roughly 100 communities throughout 20 states, together with Colorado, Maryland, Illinois, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, with every photo voltaic undertaking together with important group advantages.
Advancing carbon-free electrical energy by coverage advocacy
Our public coverage advocacy regarding {the electrical} grid is targeted on accelerating the transition to wash electrical energy technology, modernizing and enhancing grid infrastructure, and inspiring an equitable power future. A grid combine that features including and retaining agency carbon-free power applied sciences in addition to renewables will probably be pivotal to offering electrical energy entry throughout the globe and progressing decarbonization.
In December 2023, we printed a coverage transient on superior nuclear and fusion power that highlights the significance of carbon-free electrical energy and the function superior nuclear and fusion power can have in a decarbonized power future. As superior carbon-free power applied sciences are developed, every comes with its personal set of issues, advantages, dangers, regulatory dynamics, and acceptance. Our coverage priorities are centered on advancing analysis, growth, and demonstration initiatives; enabling secure deployment of applied sciences; and inspiring an environment friendly and efficient regulatory course of for brand new applied sciences to be deployed.
Discover Sustainable by design
Uncover extra about how Microsoft is advancing the sustainability of cloud and AI by our weblog collection on the subject: