GE, Google Team Up On Energy

September 17, 2008

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

GE and Google will lobby together in Washington D.C. for renewable energy and are collaborating on advanced energy technologies – including the development of a smart grid.

“Our goal is to provide consumers with improved and expanded energy choices, whether it’s buying renewable power, driving a plug-in car, or reducing energy bills by managing home energy use,” the companies said in the announcement.

This isn’t the first time the companies have been on the same page when it comes to energy. In August, representatives from Google and GE told a group of politicians and energy experts at the National Clean Energy Summit that widespread use of renewable energy in U.S. may be possible; if it were cheaper.

Both companies are already investing heavily in renewable energy. GE has announced plans to double its investments in renewable energy to $6 billion by 2010 and Google is spending tens of millions on research and development and related investments in renewable energy under an initiative dubbed RE<C, for Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal. That initiative was announced last year.

Policy priorities for the new collaboration include planning, siting, and cost allocation for the transmission capacity necessary to enable large scale deployment of renewable electricity generation in the U.S. and the development – and deployment – of a smart grid.

Extending the renewable energy tax credit will almost certainly be on the list of priorities. GE Energy’s John Krenicki recently pleaded with senators to extend tax credits for renewable energy, which are set to expire at the end of the year.

On the tech side, GE and Google says they will collaborate to develop and deploy renewable energy and plug-in vehicle related technologies (Google is already developing plug-in vehicles through its RechargeIT initiative). The companies will also work on utility-scale renewable energy with an initial focus on geothermal technology. This is another favorite of Google, the company recently announced plans to invest more than $10 million in AltaRock Energy ($6.25 million) and Potter Drilling ($4 million) to help develop “enhanced geothermal systems” technology with the goal of generating one gigawatt of renewable energy capacity.

Another priority are the software, controls and services necessary for utilities to integrate plug-in vehicles into the grid.

Of course, GE and its Ecomagination program already has a huge tech budget committed to many of these technologies. GE recently reported that revenues from its environmental portfolio topped $14 billion in 2007, up more than 15 percent compared with 2006, and the company’s “cleantech” fund — investment in cleaner technology research and development — surpassed $1 billion for the first time.

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

Advertisers

Enhance Sustainability. Improve Profitability.

Learn how at the SAP Sustainability Resource Center. >>

Unclear about the EPA's new GHG Rule?

Learn how it could affect your business. >>

EPA mandatory emissions reporting starts Jan 1st

CSA Standards can help your organization get ready for compliance. Find out how. >>

Best Practices: Product Environmental Compliance

How to achieve compliance at a significantly lower cost. Download the full report. >>

Join the Discussion

Recent Daily News [ see all ]

11/23/2009
11/20/2009
11/19/2009

Charts [ see all ]

European Paper Industry Cuts CO2 Emissions by 42% since 1990

S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks

Nike Tops Annual Climate Action Scores

Oceans May Trap more Carbon than Forests

Jobs

View All Jobs >> Post a Job >>

Comments and Discussions

Tom Stacy on National Grid Again Rejects High Costs of Offshore Wind
"Each time government entices big money investment away from riskier, but clearly..."

miggs on European Paper Industry Cuts CO2 Emissions by 42% since 1990
"Yet another example of the potential of combined heat & power to transform..."

Stevenson on News Corp. Taps Hara for Energy Efficiency, Environmental Management
"All of us should think of ways to save energy now. It is not a myth,..."

Trade Association on Trade Group on EPA Chemical Regs: ‘If Everything is a Priority, Then Nothing is a Priority’
"Seriously… that..."

Gary Markowitz on Supermarkets Tackle Emissions Reductions, Fuel Efficiency
"Supermarkets waste over 10 percent of their energy through improper..."

peter in ireland on Ontario May Follow California’s Lead on TV Energy Efficiency
"Governor Schwarzenegger is shooting himself in the foot! 1...."

Environmental Leader on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"The survey respondents (the PDF report mentions 4,000 respondents in 38..."

Environmental Leader