Google Electricity Use: Enough for 200K Homes

Search giant wants to tap the grid like a utility

(NEWSER) - Google has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for permission to become an “electricity marketer,” a designation that would allow it to buy and sell energy in bulk like a utility company. It’s an unorthodox move, but one Google says will help it power its sprawling operations and give it better access to clean energy, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

Would focus sun's energy to produce heat, steam

(NEWSER) - Google is working on new mirrors to make solar thermal power significantly cheaper, Reuters reports. If it works, the technology could reduce the cost of building a plant to draw power from the sun by 25% or more. “We've been looking at very unusual materials for the mirrors both for the reflective surface as well as the substrate that the mirror is mounted on,” says the Internet giant's green energy boss. Working prototypes should be ready in a few months. More»

Subterranean rocks could supply 10% of power by 2050

(NEWSER) - Hot rocks beneath the Earth's surface hold much promise for the nation's energy needs, but it's going to take big money to make the science work, the Christian Science Monitor reports. With $1 billion investment over the next 15 years, experts say geothermal power could provide 10% of the nation's energy—cleanly—by 2050. Google is on board for $10 million, with the company calling the technology the "killer app of the energy world." More»

Not-so-green tech giants show insatiable appetite for power

(NEWSER) - No industrial smokestacks rise from that cute Google logo, but each click of the search button takes an environmental toll, Harper's reports. Google and its competitors are guzzling electricity to power ever-larger server complexes, and a renewable-energy initiative is more about making amends than benevolence. A new taxpayer-subsidized Google center along Oregon’s Columbia River will likely use a Tacoma-sized chunk of power. More»

Weirdest entry on list: digital picture frames

(NEWSER) - You're probably spending $100 per year on energy costs for devices that are plugged in—even if they're switched off, an EPA spokesperson tells Mother Jones . She lists six of the worst offenders you should consider unplugging first if you want to save energy—and cash:

• Cable boxes: Yes, these seemingly innocent devices suck up a lot of electricity , about as much as your refrigerator. If you can't bring yourself to unplug it, at least ask for a multi-room box so you can use just one for all your TVs.
• A/V equipment: Worried your DVD player or iPod docking station will forget what time it is when you turn it off? Many Energy Star-approved devices will remember what time it is, so try using those instead.