Xcel Energy has announced that it will power Google's new 1.9 GW 'clean' energy data centre in Pine Island, Minnesota (United States). The project will comprise 1,400 MW of wind, 200 MW of solar and 300 MW/30 GWh of long-duration energy storage (Xcel Energy press release, 24/02/2026).
Form Energy will supply iron-air batteries, which can store renewables-sourced electricity for 100 hours at system costs competitive with conventional power plants, whereas traditional lithium-ion batteries, which are effective for 4-hour shifts and even 8-hour duration, cannot handle multi-day storage without significant expense.
The project is part of the new “Clean Energy Accelerator” agreement, a regulatory framework that allows Google to cover the costs of the deployment directly.
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