In their largest clean energy investment to date, Google will contribute $168 million to the new Ivanpah solar energy power plant under construction in California’s Mojave Desert.
Investment in the 370-megawatt BrightSource Energy project brings the total amount injected by Google into the clean energy sector to $250 million.
“The investment makes business sense, and will help ensure that one of the world’s largest solar energy projects is completed,” said the company on its blog Monday.
The new solar tower will be the largest in the world, standing approximately 450 feet tall, collecting solar energy from 346,000 large mirrors to run steam turbines.
Scheduled to begin generating clean, renewable electricity for 140,000 California homes by mid-2013, the carbon impact will be the equivalent of removing 90,000 cars from L.A. freeways.