Google made a commitment to power all its operations with 100% clean electricity by 2030, but, energy-hungry data centers used to power its artificial intelligence products are putting the company’s ability to reach those goals at risk.

Google shouldn’t allow the proliferation of data centers to jeopardize its important environmental commitments. Google should make sure its new data centers:

• meet the strongest energy and water efficiency standards possible,
• run on 100% renewable energy, with as much of that energy generated on site as possible, and that energy used to power new data centers doesn’t replace other renewable energy the company was already committed to,
• are “gentle on the grid” by participating in demand response programs and incorporate energy storage technology to reduce peak load stress and align with renewable energy production.