As the demand for electricity in the US rises, Google's carbon-captured power system shows a move toward cleaner energy for AI driven data centers.

Google announced on Thursday that it has signed the first corporate contract to buy electricity from a US power plant that uses carbon capture and storage. This electricity will support its data centers in the Midwest of the nation. Big Tech's plans to create generative artificial intelligence and other technologies that would require massive quantities of electricity. However, the US power infrastructure is facing a shortage of supplies.

Companies like Google have made a number of announcements in recent months. These announcements help fund the setup of new and expanded power plants around the nation. Google's recent deals include purchasing electricity from advanced nuclear reactors, geothermal, and hydropower. It is also working with the biggest US power grid, PJM Interconnection. This grid covers the world's largest concentration of data centers. Google is working to speed up the connection of new power supplies.

According to Google's head of Advanced Energy, Michael Terrell, the calculation omitted power generated by natural gas that captures and stores carbon dioxide. The 400-megawatt power plant in Decatur, Illinois, which will be developed by privately held Low Carbon Infrastructure, is the focus of Google's latest electricity off-take deal. In the early 2030s, carbon capture, which involves collecting around 90 percent of CO₂ production, is planned to be used to generate power.