All three centers were announced last year, but the details on how they'll be powered are new.
In addition to paying for the electricity they use, Google will cover all costs to connect the facilities to the grid, according to a press release from OG&E.
The plan is to ramp up electricity use to 1 gigawatt over the next 5 years. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, that's equivalent to the power generated by about 300 utility-scale wind turbines, or half the power generated by the Hoover Dam. By 2036, the facilities are expected to hit their peak power use of 1.2 gigawatts.
The agreement between OG&E and Google includes minimum billing requirements in case the data centers don't use as much energy as expected. It also includes early-exit penalties, in case Google backs out. Google is responsible for all contracted costs, regardless of how the projects play out.
Google is also building two solar farms that will connect to OG&E's grid and offset some of the data centers' power needs.
The agreement will go to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission for review and approval.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
