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Google’s biggest clean power project is 40 miles north of xAI’s unpermitted gas power plant
TechCrunch • • business
Key Points:
- Google has made its largest solar power and battery storage purchase to date, investing in a project in Arkansas that will generate enough electricity to power about 6% of the state's peak demand.
- The Steel River Energy Center, a three-phase project, will become the largest solar facility in the U.S. when completed in 2029, with 1.8 gigawatts of solar capacity and 2.9 gigawatt-hours of battery storage.
- The project pairs solar panels with large batteries to provide continuous power to the grid, helping Google meet its goal of matching electricity use with clean power on an hourly basis.
- In contrast, Elon Musk's xAI operates an unpermitted natural gas power plant near Memphis, relying heavily on fossil fuels despite Musk's involvement in clean energy through Tesla.
- Musk recently acquired APR Energy, a developer of modular natural gas power plants, indicating continued investment in natural gas rather than shifting toward renewable energy sources.
