Google To Invest In Renewables

California based search engine giant Google has today announced it intends to invest substantially in the development of sustainable energies in a bid to help secure the future of the environment, through its charitable arm ‘Google.org’.

The world’s largest search engine and online advertising services provider has today announced that it is directing hundreds of millions of dollars towards the development of new technologies to provide renewable energy, with a view to ultimately making the price of green electricity less than the price of coal.

The move comes from Google’s own academic origins, and will see investment channelled through Universities and research laboratories in order to develope what are at present fledgling technologies in order to bring renewable, green energy to the forefront of the market.

Google has also announced that it will be doing research off its own accord into the project, and will be recruiting a team of high profiled academics and engineers to help bring the goals of the project to life. The project, known as RE < C (from the aim of renewables costing less than coal), will commence over the course of this year into 2008.

The project will initially focus on solar thermal energy, mimicking Google’s current set up whereby they power their entire operation from a purpose built solar panel system. Investment is already underway in the California region with several research fimrs and energy groups, with a view to reducing the cost of renewable energy down to around 2 cents per kilowatt hour.

Speaking today on the move, Google co-founder Larry Page said that whilst Google had set an ambitious target it would be prepared to go all out in attempting to achieve its objectives, with a view to improving the environment and lowering global energy costs.

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