Google's $1B Battery Powers Data Center for 100 Hours

Imagine a battery so powerful it could keep the lights on for over four days without recharging. Google just made that a reality with a $1 billion investment in what will become the world's largest energy storage system.

The tech giant partnered with Form Energy to build a groundbreaking 100-hour battery for its new data center in Pine Island, Minnesota. Unlike typical batteries that last a few hours, this iron-air system can store enough renewable energy to power operations through extended cloudy or windless periods.

The battery will work alongside 1.4 gigawatts of wind turbines and 200 megawatts of solar panels to create a fully renewable-powered data center. That's enough clean energy to power hundreds of thousands of homes while running the servers that make AI and cloud computing possible.

Form Energy's technology uses something surprisingly simple: iron and oxygen. When oxygen interacts with iron, it releases electrons and stores energy. The process reverses to discharge power when needed. This approach costs far less than lithium batteries because iron is abundant and affordable.

The batteries will be manufactured at Form Energy's factory in Weirton, West Virginia, where commercial production recently began. The facility plans to produce 500 megawatts of battery capacity annually by 2028, creating jobs while advancing clean energy technology.

Xcel Energy will install the system under an agreement awaiting approval from Minnesota regulators. Google is covering all costs, including a $50 million investment to strengthen grid reliability for the surrounding community.

The Ripple Effect

This project solves a problem that has stumped the renewable energy industry for years: how to keep power flowing when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing. Traditional solutions involved firing up fossil fuel plants during lulls, undermining climate goals.

With 100 hours of storage, Google can avoid that trap entirely. The system will prevent renewable energy waste by capturing excess power during sunny, windy days and releasing it during shortages. Studies show this approach stabilizes electricity prices and reduces emissions across entire power grids.

Other tech companies are watching closely. As artificial intelligence expands, data centers are consuming more electricity than ever. Google's model proves these massive facilities can grow without increasing carbon emissions or straining local power grids.

Form Energy, led by former Tesla Energy executive Mateo Jaramillo, has raised $1.4 billion to date and plans to go public in 2027. The company received up to $150 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to support its West Virginia operations.

Utility companies are taking note too. Xcel Energy previously approved a similar Form Energy project pairing a 1-gigawatt-hour battery with a massive solar plant. Other utilities serving tech facilities are exploring how long-duration storage could transform their renewable energy programs.

The Minnesota project could begin construction within weeks once regulators approve, setting a new standard for clean energy at scale and proving that even our most power-hungry technologies can run on sunshine and wind alone.