Google
&
Xcel Energy
Announce 1.9 GW Clean Energy Deal for First Minnesota Data Center
Alphabet’s Google has been confirmed as the developer behind a new 480-acre AI and cloud data center campus in Pine Island, Minnesota under a landmark agreement with Xcel Energy.
The project (pending Minnesota PUC approval) includes:
⚡ Google paying 100% of its electricity costs
🔌 Full funding of required transmission + grid infrastructure
🌬️ 1,400 MW of new wind
☀️ 200 MW of new solar
🔋 300 MW / 30 GWh of battery storage
📆 Renewable assets expected online 2028–2029 (owned by Xcel)
💰 $36M tax abatement approved; projected $130M+ long-term local tax revenue
Google will fund new generation, storage, and transmission tied to its load and pay a premium under a clean energy tariff designed to insulate other ratepayers.
This project features a 100-hour iron-air battery system from
Form Energy
, the largest energy storage deployment by gigawatt-hour capacity ever announced globally. Engineered for multi-day reliability, it enables firming of intermittent renewables at scale and transforms how long-duration storage supports a decarbonized, resilient grid.
AI load is quickly becoming a financing engine for long-duration storage and large-scale renewables.
Will this “pay-your-own-way + overbuild clean” model set a precedent for hyperscale and AI campus development nationwide?
How will multi-day, 100-hour battery storage reshape utility planning and local grid resilience in Minnesota?