While Google may have adhered to President Trump’s non-binding power commitment, it’s evident that the firm has been developing a strategy for its data centers for several months.

On Thursday, Google announced its collaboration with Michigan utility DTE to introduce 2.7 gigawatts of “new resources” in suburban Detroit aimed at energizing a new data center in the area. Some details remain unclear at this stage, but this agreement parallels one made last month with Xcel Energy to establish a data center in Minnesota. This outlines Google’s approach to creating additional capacity for upcoming data centers.

The updated initiative encompasses 1.6 gigawatts of solar energy, 400 megawatts of four-hour energy storage, 50 megawatts of long-duration energy storage, and 300 megawatts of “extra clean resources,” a vague term that could refer to anything from wind and hydro to nuclear and geothermal. 

TechCrunch posed various inquiries to Google’s PR team, and while they provided some insights, it’s evident that many aspects of the proposal remain either undeveloped or not fully disclosed yet. For example: Does “clean resources” encompass natural gas? We still await a response on that point.

The remaining 350 megawatts of the 2.7 GW agreement will be managed through demand response, which involves large electricity consumers reducing their usage for short durations. The exact implementation of this remains to be determined. Google may seek partners willing to scale back their power requirements during peak times, or it might shut down its own data centers when the grid is under pressure.

The DTE partnership will also employ Google’s Clean Transition Tariff, which has been refined over the last year. This tariff was previously utilized in Google’s agreement with Xcel Energy. It aims to permit Google to pay extra to dictate the types of energy it prefers, while also motivating utilities to incorporate such solutions into their long-term strategies. Earlier tools like power purchase agreements were often regarded by utilities as isolated incidents.

Additionally, Google announced a $10 million Energy Impact Fund designed to decrease utility expenses, including initiatives for home insulation. It resembles energy efficiency programs delivered by utilities, albeit branded with Google’s identity. Whether $10 million will sufficiently alleviate everyday consumers’ worries about rising energy costs is yet to be determined.

This marks the second “bring your own power” initiative that Google has promoted, though it’s unlikely to be the final one. It resembles the way the company has functioned historically. While the tariff is somewhat recent, Google has been investing in or creating new generation capacity since it committed seven years ago to utilize 100% carbon-free energy.

The distinction is that those projects were typically announced on their own schedules. Currently, we’re observing the opposite — power initiatives in progress being disclosed in conjunction with new data centers. Is this clever marketing or something deeper? We’ll find out in a few years.