Google's core business is Internet search but that isn't keeping the company from exploring some other very different areas. On Tuesday, Google announced an ambitious plan to develop electricity from renewable energy sources that will be cheaper than electricity produced from coal. The newly created initiative, known as RE < C, will focus initially on advanced solar thermal power, wind power technologies, enhanced geothermal systems and what Google referred to as "other potential breakthrough technologies."
As part of its capital planning process, Google said it anticipates investing hundreds of millions of dollars in breakthrough renewable energy projects which generate positive returns. Near term, Google said it plans to spend tens of millions of dollars next year on research and development and related investments in renewable energy.Makani Power, based in Alameda, CA, is developing high-altitude wind energy extraction technologies. According to the company, high-altitude wind energy has the potential to satisfy a significant portion of current global electricity needs. Google said it's on track to meet an internal goal it set last spring to be carbon neutral in 2007 and beyond. The company has extensive solar panel installations at its Mountain View, Calif. campus. But last year rival Microsoft announced it had installed the largest solar electric system in Silicon Valley at its facility, also in Mountain View. Google said RE < C signifies the effort to create renewable energy at a cost less than energy from coal, thus, R(enewable) E(nergy) < C(oal).
Source: internetnews
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