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 develop into a carbon detrimental firm. We’re dedicating vital assets to advancing this aim and including carbon-free electrical energy and capability within the grids the place we function.
As we speak, we’re saying a energy buy settlement (PPA) with Constellation that can allow the restart of an 835 megawatt (MW) nuclear facility in Pennsylvania that was retired in 2019. This may deliver a major provide of net-new, dependable, carbon-free electrical energy to the PJM energy grid, the regional transmission group masking 13 states, recognizing the significance of nuclear power and complementing our 34 gigawatt (GW) contracted renewable power portfolio in 24 international locations.
As highlighted by the Worldwide Power Company, full grid decarbonization would require a multi-technology strategy with a broad vary of carbon-free applied sciences equivalent to 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 in depth work on carbon discount and carbon removing, Microsoft embraces this multi-technology strategy as an important pathway to reaching our aim of changing into carbon detrimental by 2030.
Carbon discount
Discover our strategy to carbon discount
As we proceed to broaden 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 strategy our work to (1) form market demand for carbon-free electrical energy and (2) advance power coverage by means of 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 targets and safe carbon-free electrical energy, crafting progressive settlement constructions alongside our giant portfolio of renewable PPAs. A couple of examples:
- Our just lately introduced five-year world settlement with Brookfield Renewable Companions gives a pathway for the event of greater than 10.5 gigawatts of latest renewable power capability in america and Europe, nearly eight occasions bigger than the biggest company PPA ever signed. This settlement gives 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 areas 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. Through 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 night time when wind and photo voltaic sources could also be offline.
- As a world firm dedicated to decarbonization on a world stage, Microsoft additionally has labored to develop renewable power in communities and areas that always will not be prioritized. An instance of this distinctive strategy 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 vital neighborhood advantages.
Advancing carbon-free electrical energy by means of coverage advocacy
Our public coverage advocacy referring to {the electrical} grid is targeted on accelerating the transition to scrub 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 likely be pivotal to offering electrical energy entry throughout the globe and progressing decarbonization.
In December 2023, we revealed a coverage temporary on superior nuclear and fusion power that highlights the significance of carbon-free electrical energy and the position superior nuclear and fusion power could 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 targeted on advancing analysis, growth, and demonstration initiatives; enabling protected deployment of applied sciences; and inspiring an environment friendly and efficient regulatory course of for brand spanking new applied sciences to be deployed.
Discover Sustainable by design
Uncover extra about how Microsoft is advancing the sustainability of cloud and AI by means of our weblog sequence on the subject:
1The trail to limiting world warming to 1.5 °C has narrowed, however clear power development is conserving it open, IEA, 2023.