Meta quits clean energy pledge amid data center expansion
Meta says it will keep buying renewable power while funding 10 new gas plants for its data centers, according to the company and Climate Group.
- On July 24, Meta confirmed it abandoned the RE100 pledge to source electricity from renewables, an initiative of the Britain-based Climate Group that counts 444 members including Apple, Google, and Microsoft.
- Investments in new gas power plants prompted Meta's withdrawal, as the company struck deals for 10 units powering its Hyperion data center in Louisiana that violated RE100 technical criteria.
- Despite the withdrawal, a Meta spokesperson said the company continues scaling renewable investments and maintains its goal of matching electricity use with 100 percent clean energy.
- Microsoft signed a deal with Chevron last month to supply natural gas to a West Texas data center, while Google has also been linked to similar partnerships in press reports.
- While natural gas is billed as a "bridge fuel" between dirtier fossil fuels and renewables, its usage causes air pollution and methane leakage; hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," can contaminate ground water supplies.
18 Articles
18 Articles
The US giant Meta has formalized its withdrawal from the RE100 initiative, a decision motivated by its investments in gas power plants to power its data centres The US giant
The Climate Group's RE100 initiative aims to encourage corporate climate action and counts Apple, Google, and Microsoft among its 444 members. Its website no longer mentions Meta. A spokesperson for the group, which includes the social networks Facebook and Instagram, confirmed the departure to AFP. The spokesperson also emphasized Meta's efforts to invest in renewable energy and its continued commitment to using clean energy for all of its el…
The Straits Times
Free Malaysia Today NewsMeta quits clean energy pledge amid gas-powered data centre push
Meta said it still aims to match its electricity use with 100 per cent clean energy. Read more at straitstimes.com.
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