TLDR: Google has announced its first corporate agreement to purchase electricity from a U.S. gas-fired power plant equipped with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. This 400-megawatt facility, named Broadwing Energy, will be located in Decatur, Illinois, and is designed to capture approximately 90% of its CO2 emissions. Expected to be operational in the early 2030s, the plant will supply power to Google’s energy-intensive AI data centers in the Midwest, marking a significant step in the company’s strategy to meet its round-the-clock clean energy goals amidst the surging demand from artificial intelligence operations.
Google is making a pivotal move in its energy strategy by investing in a natural gas power plant integrated with carbon capture technology to fuel its burgeoning data centers in the U.S. Midwest. The tech giant has entered into its first corporate agreement to purchase electricity from the Broadwing Energy project, a 400-megawatt natural gas-fired plant in Decatur, Illinois, developed in partnership with Low Carbon Infrastructure (LCI) and I Squared Capital. This initiative is designed to address the immense and growing energy demands of Google’s artificial intelligence operations while advancing its ambitious climate objectives.
The Broadwing Energy plant, slated to begin commercial operation in the early 2030s, is engineered to capture and permanently store approximately 90% of its carbon dioxide emissions. The captured CO2 will be sequestered more than a mile underground at an existing industrial site operated by agribusiness company Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), which has been pioneering carbon storage from ethanol production since 2017. This strategic location leverages established infrastructure and expertise in carbon sequestration.
Michael Terrell, Google’s head of Advanced Energy, emphasized the importance of this technology, stating, “We’ve been really focused on advancing all these new technologies for around-the-clock clean technologies and this is an important piece of the puzzle. It’s a very important technology that the world needs.” This sentiment underscores Google’s recognition that intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar, while central to its energy mix, cannot alone provide the constant, reliable power required by hyperscale computing and AI infrastructure.
The company’s latest Environmental Report acknowledged the increasing complexity of achieving its 2030 net-zero operations and value chain goal, citing “the sharp growth in energy demand driven by AI” and “a slower-than-expected rollout of carbon-free energy technologies” as key challenges. The integration of CCS technology broadens Google’s decarbonization strategy, complementing existing investments in advanced nuclear, geothermal, and hydropower pilots.
Jonathan Wiens, CEO of Low Carbon Infrastructure, highlighted the commercial viability of the project, noting, “Broadwing demonstrates that carbon capture can be commercially viable today. Working alongside I Squared and Google, we’re proving that low-carbon power can be both affordable and reliable while driving job creation.” Both Google and LCI have expressed intentions to pursue additional CCS facilities across the United States, positioning Broadwing as the inaugural project in a pipeline of commercial-scale carbon capture endeavors.
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This move by Google reflects a broader industry trend where tech giants are combining firm generation with carbon abatement technologies to balance reliability and emissions. The data center boom, particularly in the Midwest, is reshaping regional power grids, with major technology companies influencing the energy mix. While carbon capture and storage is promoted by organizations like the International Energy Agency as a tool for emissions reduction, critics continue to raise questions regarding its cost, scalability, and long-term effectiveness.
