Microsoft and Chevron plan to develop a 2.67 Giwa gas power station in West Texas, United States, to provide dedicated power to Microsoft ' s AI and Cloud Data Centers. This shows that as the demand for computing rises, large technology companies are accelerating the targeting of long-term energy supplies.
Sign the 20-year purchase agreement.
According to information published by both parties, the power station will provide continuous power to the data centre operated by Microsoft through a 20-year power purchase agreement. The main power generation equipment for the project will be two large gas turbines from GE Vernova, with the remainder being provided by Solar Turbines under the Caterpillar flag.
According to Chevron, this project will be one of the largest in the United States of America, namely, the co-location of power generation facilities with data centres. The so-called co-location development means that power generation is deployed in the same area as the data centre in order to reduce transmission dependence and improve the stability of power supply.
AI power demand continues to rise.
Microsoft has released signals several times in recent months that it is seeking more stable sources of electricity for a new round of AI infrastructure expansion. The project advanced to show that, against the background of increased power grid pressure and power demand, natural gas was still seen by some technology companies as a realistic and rapidly deployable option.
On a scale, 2.67 gigawatts are close to large regional power project levels, also reflecting a significant increase in the demand for electricity in individual AI data centre clusters. For Microsoft, long-term power locking helps to support the continued expansion of cloud services and AI training and reasoning.
Emission pressure increases.
However, this decision has also put additional pressure on Microsoft ' s climate targets. Microsoft's earlier commitment to eliminate its own carbon emissions by 2030, and the addition of large gas power plants, means that it will be even more difficult to achieve this goal.
- Estimated emissions of more than 13 million tons of carbon dioxide
- About 3200 tons of conventional air pollution Objects
- About 27.8 million pounds of dangerous air pollution Objects
The project, Project Kilby, is estimated to result in the above emissions. TechCrunch argues that Microsoft’s long-standing emphasis on sustainable development and its shift to large-scale gas power supply is a sign that the tension between AI’s infrastructure expansion and emissions reduction commitments is growing.