Running a data center undoubtedly takes a lot energy. Especially when the company name is Microsoft, and you are the biggest company technology on the planet. But this does not necessarily mean that the data center is harmful to the environment.
The company has just announced that it will use two wind farms, with the goal of powering its Cheyenne, Wyoming data center entirely from renewable sources.
Microsoft claims to have entered into an agreement with the Bloom Wind farm in Kansas to allocate 178 megawatt, but also to the Silver Sage and Happy Jack farms in Wyoming to grant 59 megawatt extra.
This is not the only energy deal that Microsoft has closed in recent years.
The company has already closed an 75 megawatt concession deal with a wind farm in Illinois, and another one for a 100 megawatt concession with a wind farm in Texas. Overall, Microsoft is currently purchasing 500 megawatt energy from wind power.
Interestingly, the company also revealed that the data center's backup generators will be used as a "secondary source" for the local network. This means that it will provide energy for the local community during times of high demand.
These backup generators run on natural gas, which despite being a fossil fuel, is far less ecologically detrimental than our well-known oil.
Microsoft hopes that by 2018, it will use about a total of 50% renewable energy, and the above agreement shows that the company is on the right track.