Google launches a solar farm for wildlife habitat
The solar-powered ranching farm Google has announced will help protect wildlife habitat for the next generation of animals.
The company announced today that it has purchased the land, a 1,000-acre parcel of land in the Mojave Desert, from the state of California.
The project will be powered by the SunPower-owned Solus Energy solar farm, which has a capacity of 1.8 megawatts.
The land is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Mojaves National Forest.
Google says it plans to use the solar farm to grow grasses and shrubs for the land and to generate electricity for the facility.
The Mojave National Forest will oversee the project.
Google is not the first tech company to take advantage of the solar energy source.
Earlier this year, Microsoft partnered with Arizona-based SunPower to build a solar-fueled farm that has a potential capacity of 4 megawatts, according to the Associated Press.
Google also partnered with SolarCity and SunPower earlier this year to build an 800-acre solar farm in Northern California.
Google plans to take on a larger role in managing and harvesting the solar power.
The farm is a part of a broader strategy Google is undertaking to make the solar industry more environmentally friendly.
Google has previously partnered with local communities to install solar panels in their community, and it is also partnering with solar-energy startups to provide more solar-friendly solar panels.
The solar farm is part of Google’s commitment to improve the way it manages and operates its energy and water resources.