Google signs new deal to power Mountain View HQ with wind

Google’s green energy investments come home today, in a new deal to power its Mountain View headquarters with energy from a Bay area wind farm.

The long-term agreement with NextEra Energy Resources will allow the firm to reboot a wind farm in California’s Altamont Pass, outfitting it with new turbines. Google estimates that the farm will contribute 43 megawatts of electricity to the grid starting in 2016.

Most of Google’s past efforts at sustainability have focused on powering energy-guzzling data centers, many of which are located around the globe, with “clean energy.” Google recently dropped $773 million to build a “hyper efficient” data center in the Netherlands, and the company already has a similar facility in Belgium. However, its deal with NextEra is the company’s first attempt to cull energy consumption within its California offices.

The announcement comes on the heels of Apple’s $850 million investment in a Monterey County solar energy farm, in partnership with First Solar. Apple said it wants to expand its renewable energy efforts to its retail stores and offices in addition to its data centers.

Both companies have been committed to sustainable energy practices for many years, but one can’t help but sense a little competition here.