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  • Animation of a woman with a computer, ladder, and plant in the background. In the foreground is the question: How do data centers benefit your community?

    How data centers benefit your community

    2023

    Have you ever wondered how digital devices are able to connect us to the world? Data centers are the engines that power the technology that make it all happen. And they also play a valuable role in building a growing, connected, and sustainable community and world for everyone. Watch this short video to learn how Google data centers are building the necessary infrastructure for tomorrow while taking bold action to protect the environment and investing in the communities around us.

  • A live-action still image of a large machine that says 'RFP' at the top.

    A smarter way to buy clean energy

    2023

    Accelerating clean energy growth on the electrical grid is urgent if we want to help keep the planet under 1.5°C of warming. A big issue holding this growth back is the length of time it takes to complete a clean energy deal. That’s why Google partnered to develop a smarter and faster approach to closing these deals. Dive into how it works, and take a behind-the-scenes look at our process for developing what we believe will become a new standard. Learn more at goo.gle/cleanenergy.

  • Overhead photograph of earth looking down on green, white, and brown terrain.

    Our environmental report

    2023

    Learn how we’re driving environmental benefits throughout our business in three key ways: developing products and technology that empower individuals on their journey to a more sustainable life; working together with partners and organizations everywhere to transition to resilient, carbon-free systems; and operating our business more sustainably. Google’s 2023 Environmental Report is a chance for us to reflect on these benefits, the lessons we’ve learned along the way, and the opportunities and challenges we see ahead.

  • Where the Internet Lives logo featuring a data center server

    Our podcast returns, sharing how data centers benefit the greater community

    2023

    Where the Internet Lives – our podcast about the fascinating world of data centers and the technology, people, and places that make the internet run – is back. Seasons 1 and 2 taught us about data centers and showcased the interesting people who work in them. Listen to Season 3 to learn how data centers provide powerful economic, social, and environmental benefits to communities around the globe, led by passionate experts inside and outside Google. Listen here.

  • Discovering Data Centers animated video series explains innovation behind Google data centers.

    An animated video series highlighting data center innovation

    2022

    Discovering Data Centers is an animated video series about the innovation behind Google data centers. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the technological intricacies that ensure Google data centers work globally and at massive scale, and see how design, technology, operations, and sustainability layer together to make data centers so fascinating. Watch Seasons 1 and 2 here.

  • Stories from the data center capital of the world

    Stories from the data center capital of the world

    2022

    Google is proud to operate multiple data centers in Northern Virginia – a global hub of the digital economy – and to support community organizations there that are changing lives. Meet two inspiring local organizations, Global Inheritance and Mobile Hope, which we’ve partnered with to introduce more young women to STEM and to combat youth homelessness.

  • A technician checking large floor-to-ceiling pipes in a water treatment plant at Google’s Belgium data center.

    Our commitment to water stewardship

    2021

    Google is pledging to a water stewardship target to replenish more water than we consume by 2030 and support water security in communities where we operate. This means Google aims to replenish 120% of the freshwater volume we consume, on average, across our offices and data centers.

  • Example of naturally occurring geothermal resource at the earth's surface

    Full steam ahead on 24/7 carbon-free energy

    2021

    We're tapping into a first-of-its-kind geothermal project that will add "always on" clean energy to the electric grid near our Nevada data centers. Advancements in clean technologies like firm geothermal, combined with carbon-intelligent computing at our data centers, are helping us get closer to 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030.

  • A Google data center solar field

    Cleaner data centers, batteries included

    2020

    We’re installing the first battery-based system to replace generators at a hyperscale data center. The system will help keep our users’ searches, emails, and videos on the move – without the pollution associated with burning diesel, while also being available as an asset that strengthens the electric grid.

  • Google CEO Sundar Pichai

    Realizing a carbon-free future

    2020

    We are the first major company to make a commitment to operate on 24/7 carbon-free energy in all our data centers and campuses worldwide – and we’re working to get it done by 2030. Learn from CEO Sundar Pichai about our continued commitment to go carbon-free.

  • Video host with Google Data Center VP Joe Kava

    Inside a Google data center

    2020

    Ride along on a tour of a Google data center, listen in on a chat with vice president Joe Kava, and learn about the six layers of physical security that help keep user data safe and secure.

  • Google data center and wind turbines in The Netherlands

    Our data centers now work harder when the sun shines and the wind blows

    2020

    A new advancement in our quest for 24/7 carbon-free energy is a carbon-intelligent computing platform. This first-of-its kind system for our hyperscale data centers shifts the timing of flexible compute tasks to align with times when low-carbon power sources are most plentiful.

  • A server aisle at our Mayes County, Oklahoma data center

    Data centers are more efficient than ever

    2020

    Even as demand for cloud computing has skyrocketed, energy efficiency improvements have kept electricity usage almost flat across the globe’s data centers. How are we squeezing more work out of every electron? The answer comes down to our relentless quest to eliminate energy waste in all of our operations.

  • St. Ghislain cooling towers

    Google's European infrastructure

    2019

    Digital transformation is a defining challenge and opportunity for the European economy. Copenhagen Economics' 2019 study details Google’s efforts to support Europe's economy while remaining energy efficient.

  • Finland data center exterior

    Unleashing digital opportunities in Europe

    2019

    Plans to invest €3 billion to expand our data centers across Europe over the next two years will bring our total investment in Europe’s internet infrastructure to €15 billion since 2007. Our investments generate economic activity for the region and support more than 13,000 full-time jobs in the EU every year.

  • Solar panel field

    Our biggest renewable energy purchase ever

    2019

    Google has made the biggest corporate purchase of renewable energy in history, which will also spur the construction of more than $2 billion in new energy infrastructure, including millions of solar panels and hundreds of wind turbines spread across three continents.

  • Windmills in snow

    100% renewable energy, for the second year in a row

    2019

    In 2017, we first reached our longstanding goal of buying enough renewable energy to match 100% of Google’s global annual electricity use. During 2018, our purchases of energy from sources like solar and wind once again matched our entire annual electricity consumption.

  • Colored cooling towers

    Google Data Centers and community

    2018

    At Google we care about the communities where we work and live. Our data centers help keep the internet up and running 24/7 while supporting local economies and job creation. Learn about their positive impact in the Oxford Economics report for the US and in the Copenhagen Economics report for Europe.

  • Solar field

    100% renewable energy — just the beginning

    2017

    In 2017 we achieved a great milestone: purchasing 100% renewable energy to match consumption for global operations, including our data centers and offices. But we’re also working to make the electricity supply greener as a whole — not just for us, but for everyone.

  • Murals on data center

    Introducing the Data Center Mural Project

    2016

    Data centers play an important role in our everyday lives, so we asked four artists to reimagine the exterior walls of our data centers in Oklahoma, Iowa, Ireland, and Belgium. Watch videos that tell the stories of how these artists were inspired to bring a bit of the magic from the inside to the outside.

  • Data center security station

    Virtual reality tour inside a Google Data Center

    2015

    People often ask what’s inside a Google Data Center. In this 360° virtual tour (taken at The Dalles, Oregon), you can see where the Google Cloud lives and the numerous high security measures we use to protect not only customer data but our own custom-made infrastructure.

  • Pipes in data center

    Harnessing our data to drive efficiency

    2014

    In our ongoing pursuit of extreme efficiency, we've developed software that optimizes our data centers by predicting and guiding our energy use. In 2014, we shared our model so that others could follow suit and enhance their data center efficiency in similar ways.

  • Data center exterior

    Increasing access to renewable energy

    2013

    As demand for renewable energy increases, we’ve been working with electricity providers on scalable solutions that increase the supply of clean energy. In 2013, we partnered with Duke Energy to pilot a new type of arrangement that lets companies buy renewable energy directly from the utility.

  • Data servers

    Showing what we're made of — inside and out

    2012

    For a rare glimpse into where we run our products – like Search, YouTube, Gmail, Drive, and Photos, browse our photo gallery of the technology, people, and places that keep Google's products running 24/7.

  • Man working on pipe

    Certifying our high environmental standards

    2011

    In 2011, we became the first major internet services company to gain external certification of our high environmental and workplace standards throughout our US and European data centers, reinforcing our commitment to take care of the environment and our employees.

  • Windmills

    Adding renewable energy to our communities

    2010

    We aim to use as much clean energy as possible, but we’re limited by a grid with few renewable options. In 2010, we started buying renewable energy from wind farms near our data centers. In doing so, we're adding new clean power for our data centers and greening the electricity where we operate.

  • Presenter in auditorium

    Sharing what we've learned

    2009

    In 2009, we brought together our peers to discuss how we can all make the industry greener and more efficient. This was followed by an event on efficiency targets across geographies and climates, and a summit exploring the environmental impact and benefits of the internet.

  • Quarterly Energy Use chart

    Disclosing industry-leading efficiency

    2008

    Most companies don’t talk about their real-world efficiency. In 2008, we started sharing our efficiency performance to help push the industry forward. Since then, we've continued to publish detailed, comprehensive data for all of our data centers.

  • Data center by water

    Becoming the first carbon neutral internet company

    2007

    Our data centers use much less energy than the average data center, and if you add our renewable energy use and carbon offsets, our footprint is zero. We’ve been carbon neutral since 2007, and we’re happy to see that other tech companies have followed in our footsteps.

  • Data center pipes

    Designing efficient data centers

    2003

    In 2003, we designed portable data centers: shipping containers pre-packed with servers and cooling equipment, which were easier to assemble and more energy efficient. By 2006, we moved to newer designs that provided the same benefits, but with greater flexibility.

  • Server rows

    Pioneering highly efficient servers

    2001

    We've been designing our own custom servers to minimize their energy use since 2001. By using highly efficient power supplies and putting batteries directly onto the machines, we've built some of the most efficient servers in the industry.