Comments on: Google Invests Big In Clean Energy

By: okparrothead

okparrothead — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:34:51 +0000

Thanks to Matthew for bringing this up.
I think Google’s actions should be applauded.

While I don’t see Google doing anything for free, the fact that someone, anyone, is contributing to R&D for solar energy is a plus in my book. Our government is so beholden to other interests that funds from that sector for research into solar energy have been meager at best.

Google is covering its own behind, however.

The company recently began construction of a server farm just north of my home town, Tulsa. To secure the construction of the plant in this location, a bill passed through the local legislature that Google’s energy usage would not be made public.

Estimates printed in the paper put electricity consumption of the server farm at equivalent to a small community of about 6,000 residents.

So while I think Google’s efforts to find clean energy are self serving, in the long run their donations/investements/whatever into the advancement of solar energy will contribute greatly to the knowledgebase concerning solar power, which is all to the good.

Looking way ahead, this may be the real end run around the oil companies!

By: busy

busy — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:12:12 +0000

We need to see more of this. I spoke with the energy engineer who for the University near me and he said that the main reason we aren’t seeing more progress with clean energy is because all the major research is being funded by the current energy giants. Basically they’re moving forward, but they have a pretty good idea of how fast (or slow) this stuff will be developed so that they can maintain profits and keep their positions in the industry.

Research money, or in this case actual development money from sources outside the industry is our best chance for speeding up the process.

By: simshaun

simshaun — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:37:10 +0000

Whether it is an investment or not, it’s still reducing pollution (by however a small amount that may be; every bit counts).

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:49:30 +0000

This is great news! Google is becoming well respected in my book.

By: mattymcg

mattymcg — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:32:40 +0000

@Wolf_22: I’ve since read more about google.org’s approach, which is to make both investments and grants. So if they’re investing in a for-profit company in order to return profits to true charities, they’ve got no argument from me.

By: Wolf_22

Wolf_22 — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:15:09 +0000

So is your argument with all this concerning the verbiage or the convention behind the business relationship?

By: mattymcg

mattymcg — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:05:15 +0000

@Wolf_22: It depends on the investor’s expectation, I suppose. If there is no expectation of an ROI, and the investment is basically a donation done out of generosity, rather than being a business decision, then that’s what I would consider philanthropic. Otherwise it’s just an investment.

By: Wolf_22

Wolf_22 — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:49:23 +0000

…I don’t get it. Philanthropy and investing go hand-in-hand.

By: Vangelis

Vangelis — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:15:17 +0000

Investment or donation, in any case it’s a good thing to do.
If they are making money from it, even better. Seeing someone making money with renewable energy is probably a better motivation for others to follow along than the good feeling of doing the right thing.