The "G" word

In my previous post, I talked about Google's purchase of lands next to the Dalles Dam in Oregon. The project, known as project 02, is actually huge: House two huge data centres (the size of two football pitches) and thousands of Google servers that will help power the billions of search queries it handles daily. The challenge is to compete against Microsoft and Yahoo who are massively investing in enormous servers infrastructure.

The Googleplex, which represents all the infrastructures of Google, grows as such a rate that nobody can't quite define its actual size. Moreover, secrecy is king in those electric plants: The company recently opened a similar data centre in Atlanta, Georgia, amid comparable secrecy. The building has no signs or logos and local authorities are pledged to silence.



Now Google along with industry pals are getting involved in the "Climate Savers Computing Initiative" (CSCI), which is basically going to lobby in Washington, backed by scientific research teams. Officially, the group's mission is to "brings together industry, consumers and conservation organizations to significantly increase the energy efficiency of computers and servers." We are far from the RechargeIt electric car initiative launched by the philantropic arm of Google, which I consider a mere PR strategy to cover up for massive power pollution.



However, here's what I think Google is looking into: Internet through the electric cord. The idea is not so crazy since Google has invested $100 million in Current Communications, a BPL (broadband over power line) company (the press mistakenly refers to the company as broadband). The technology exists since a few years and has not quite made its way to our homes. Here is a good explanation.

In the meanwhile, that's not it: The focus on electricity is just the first step. Since a few years from now, electricity will be produced in tens of thousands different locations, someone is going to have to deal with the flow and distribution of this electricity. I wouldn't be surprised if Google launhed a new electrical power distribution software like this one:



And customize it to make it easy to use for individuals eager to sell their extra electricity generated by their solar panels. I like to think that it is more than likely to happen. Therefore, people would use their Adsense accounts to advertise about their electricity offers, and Google could precisely target those who are low on power, kinda like a date matching online software.

Now secrecy is so adored at Google that all of this is speculative. However, it so much matches Google's approach of the Internet. Since I live in the Bay, I'm going to try to get in touch with Google.org employees to get more info.

Until then... shhhh...