Google has announced a groundbreaking power-purchase agreement (PPA) linked to a fossil-fuel plant equipped with carbon capture and storage (CCS) — the first of its kind in the United States. The deal underpins the tech giant’s efforts to meet growing electricity demand from its Midwestern data centres while pursuing net-zero emissions by 2030.
The 400-megawatt Broadwing Energy facility will be developed in Decatur, Illinois, by Low Carbon Infrastructure on a campus owned by agribusiness major Archer Daniels Midland. The natural gas-fired plant will use CO₂ injection technology to capture and permanently store around 90% of its emissions, with operations expected to begin in the early 2030s. Google has not disclosed the contract’s financial terms.
“Natural gas-fired power that is produced while capturing and storing carbon dioxide had been missing from the equation,” said Michael Terrell, Google’s Head of Advanced Energy. “It’s a very important technology that the world needs.”
The agreement reflects a strategic shift by Big Tech to secure reliable, low-carbon electricity amid soaring energy consumption from generative AI and cloud computing. “It’s an important milestone to see a company like Google invest in carbon capture to proactively address its emissions across its energy supply chain,” said John Thompson, Technology and Markets Director at the Clean Air Task Force. “With U.S. energy demand projected to grow, any new gas plants should be capturing their emissions.”
Google remains one of the world’s largest corporate buyers of clean energy and an early mover in the carbon removal space. In 2024, it contracted over $100 million in carbon removal credits — triple its 2023 commitments — spanning biomass capture, biochar, enhanced rock weathering, and direct air capture.
The move could influence other hyperscalers. Meta is reportedly exploring CCS integration for a new 4 million sq ft data centre in Louisiana, with Entergy Louisiana planning to supply it via carbon capture-ready gas turbines.
A recent Carbon Direct report highlighted that natural-gas generation paired with CCS offers a “practical bridge” between immediate power needs and long-term climate goals — though it warned that only fully integrated “capture-committed” facilities deliver genuine emissions reductions.
However, challenges remain. Archer Daniels Midland previously detected a CO₂ leak at one of its storage wells, prompting a temporary halt and underscoring the technical complexity of permanent storage.
Thompson added: “This project in Illinois would be one of the first gas power plants of this scale to use carbon capture. It shows we can prevent CO₂ emissions — but it must be done safely, transparently, and with public engagement to ensure real climate benefit.”
The Decatur project signals a new phase in the energy transition — where technology giants may help finance reliable, lower-carbon fossil generation alongside continued investments in renewables and removals.
