Google signs landmark deal to back gas plant with carbon capture Image By EPN Staff Key Points Google is partnering with Broadwing Energy to capture and store about 90% of CO₂ emissions from a new 400 MW natural gas plant in Decatur, Illinois, which will supply electricity to Google’s data centers starting in 2030. The project aims to make carbon capture and storage (CCS) more scalable and affordable, addressing rising energy demands from AI and data centers, which used 183 TWh—or 4% of U.S. electricity—in 2024. This initiative joins other Google efforts to balance reliability and sustainability, including grid-flexibility deals with utilities, funding workforce training for electrical workers, and investments in nuclear, geothermal, and storage technologies. Google recently announced a groundbreaking corporate agreement with Broadwing Energy to utilize carbon capture and storage (CCS) for approximately 90% of the natural gas plant’s CO2 emissions. Google will help finance construction and connect the Decatur, Illinois, facility to the regional grid that powers its data centers by agreeing to purchase most of the plant’s electricity. The company hopes the project “will accelerate the path for CCS technology to become more accessible and affordable globally, helping to increase generating capacity while enabling emission reductions.” “Anytime a company invests in reliable, affordable energy here in Illinois, that’s good news. If carbon capture can make natural gas cleaner without sacrificing reliability or raising rates, that’s worth watching. We need more innovation like this, not more mandates that drive jobs and costs out of our state,” Illinois Assistant Minority Leader Rep. John M. Cabello (R-Machesney Park) told Energy Platform News. Why it matters Pew Research Center reported that U.S. data centers consumed a total of 183 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in 2024, or about 4% of the country’s electricity consumption. With 16 data centers operating in the U.S. and another nine in development, Google is creating a new avenue for Big Tech and energy companies to work together and find solutions to the added strain on the grid from AI. “Our goal is to help bring promising new CCS solutions to the market while learning and innovating quickly — the same approach we’ve taken with other energy technologies,” Google’s announcement said. “Harnessing AI’s immense potential responsibly will require a wide range of solutions.” The Broadwing plant is expected to generate over 400 MW and be in operation by 2030. How it works Broadwing will produce energy with natural gas, then take it one step further with CCS – making it a green and reliable energy solution. Their CCS process works as follows: The quencher cools flue gas from the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) to prepare it for efficient CO2 removal. The cooled gas passes through a solution that captures CO2 in the absorber. The regenerator then heats this solution to release the absorbed CO2. Finally, compressors condense the CO2 into a liquid form for permanent storage deep underground nearby. Additional details This partnership is one of several energy initiatives announced by Google this year. In August, Google reached agreements with Indiana Michigan Power and the Tennessee Power Authority to scale back power usage for its data centers when needed to free up space on the grid. Google announced it will fund training for 100,000 electrical workers and 30,000 new apprentices using artificial intelligence tools to boost a field critical to infrastructure growth. Other projects involve nuclear, geothermal, and storage technologies, including work with NextEra Energy in Iowa, Kairos Power in Tennessee, and Fervo Energy in Nevada. SUGGESTED STORIES Texas: A hub for carbon capture growth Billions in promised funding and timely regulatory moves have positioned Texas to develop one of the largest carbon capture and storage networks in the world. There are at least 39 projects proposed in the state, most of them from oil and gas companies looking to pump CO2 deep into Read more Feds OK carbon sequestration project in Texas Federal regulators have issued final permits for Texas’ first carbon sequestration project, which would pull carbon dioxide from the air and inject it deep into the Earth. Oxy Low Carbon Ventures plans to drill three wells for its direct air capture project about 14 miles from Odess Read more Microsoft carbon emissions jump as AI and cloud demand rises Microsoft's carbon emissions surged in fiscal year 2024 due to growing energy demands for artificial intelligence and cloud computing, highlighting the challenges major corporations with ambitious climate goals face in a rapidly changing world. The company’s overall Read more
Texas: A hub for carbon capture growth Billions in promised funding and timely regulatory moves have positioned Texas to develop one of the largest carbon capture and storage networks in the world. There are at least 39 projects proposed in the state, most of them from oil and gas companies looking to pump CO2 deep into Read more
Feds OK carbon sequestration project in Texas Federal regulators have issued final permits for Texas’ first carbon sequestration project, which would pull carbon dioxide from the air and inject it deep into the Earth. Oxy Low Carbon Ventures plans to drill three wells for its direct air capture project about 14 miles from Odess Read more
Microsoft carbon emissions jump as AI and cloud demand rises Microsoft's carbon emissions surged in fiscal year 2024 due to growing energy demands for artificial intelligence and cloud computing, highlighting the challenges major corporations with ambitious climate goals face in a rapidly changing world. The company’s overall Read more
