DatacenterKnowledge posts Poll on whether Renewable Energy is a factor now that Facebook and Greenpeace collaborate

DatacenterKnowledge has a poll post.

Poll: Green Power and Data Center Site Selection

• By: Rich Miller
• December 16th, 2011

Facebook said yesterday that its data center site location policy “now states a preference for access to clean and renewable energy.” The announcement ended a long-running feud between the social network and the environmental group Greenpeace, which had targeted Facebook in a social media and PR campaign because the company’s two data centers in Oregon and North Carolina each relied upon utility power that originated primarily from coal.

You find out the results when you take the poll.  I put my vote in and saw I was the first to vote. so, now 100% say renewable energy is a factor. :-)  But, of course I am biased thinking Green Data Centers are important.  Is there such a thing as an unbiased opinion?

Facebook and Greenpeace smoke the peace pipe, and join forces for renewable energy

Greenpeace has a press release regarding the new partnership with Facebook for renewable energy.

Victory! Facebook Friends Renewable Energy

Blogpost by Greenpeace International - December 15, 2011 at 9:45

After 20 months of mobilizing, agitating and negotiating to green Facebook, the Internet giant has today announced its goal to run on clean, renewable energy. More than 700,000 people from all over the world joined to make this possible! Facebook's message to energy producers is clear: invest now in renewable energy, and move away from coal power.

Here is a new video that Greenpeace has created.

Facebook has been the target for Greenpeace for carbon impact of data centers, but now that the peace pipe has been smoked Greenpeace will move on to the next targets.  Like who?  Watch this video to see who is on the list.  But don't sigh in relief if your logo is not below.  Who knows who Greepeace will target next to change their ways and have a strategy for a Green (low carbon) Data Center.

Here is what else Facebook says in their press release to give you a hint this is just the beginning.

If all the Internet giants would unfriend coal, it would send a message to utilities and investors that couldn't be ignored. Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has shown today what other IT leaders should be doing.

Energy efficiency is important, but for an energy revolution to save the planet we also need to upgrade to green energy. Who will be next?

Here is the full text of the Facebook and Greenpeace collaboration.  Note the use of Open Compute Project to support the collaboration.

Facebook and Greenpeace collaboration

on Clean and Renewable Energy 15 December, 2011

________________________________________________________________________

Facebook is committed to supporting the development of clean and renewable sources of energy, and our goal is to power all of our operations with clean and renewable energy. Building on our leadership in energy efficiency (through the Open Compute Project), we are working in partnership with
Greenpeace and others to create a world that is highly efficient and powered by clean and renewable energy. This effort will include a range of activities:

By Facebook

• Adopting a siting policy that states a preference for access to clean and renewable energy supply

• Ongoing research into energy efficiency and the open sharing of that technology through the Open Compute Project

• Ongoing research into clean energy solutions for our future data centers

• Engaging in a dialogue with our utility providers about increasing the supply of clean energy that

  power Facebook data centers

  By Greenpeace

• Active support for the Open Compute Project, including encouraging companies to join the effort, use the technology, and share their efficiency technology

• Encouraging utility providers to offer ways for customers to get their utility data, including by joining the partnership with Opower, Facebook, and NRDC

• Recognize company leadership in advancing best practices in efficiency or sustainability technology through the open source sharing of design and technology advances.

  Together

• Working together to develop and promote experiences on Facebook that help people and organizations connect with ways to save energy and engage their communities in clean energy issues.

• Co-hosting roundtables and discussions with experts on energy issues.

• Jointly engaging other large energy users and producers to address the energy choice they are facing and develop new clean energy rather than recommission coal plants or build new coal plants.

Google's Three steps for a Zero Carbon Green Data Center

Google's Joe Kava presented a keynote on Dec 1, 2011 at DatacenterDynamics London.

The three steps are as follows

Here are the summary of the three steps.

It's pretty cool that Google published its Renewable Energy use now and for the next year.

W Washington Renewable Energy Windfarm cancelled by 1 bird impact every 2 years, beauracracy wins

King5 reports on a Western Washington renewable energy project that was cancelled by the environmental impact to an endangered bird.

By Associated Press

KING5

updated 1 hour 15 minutes ago

• Print
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RICHLAND, Wash. -- Plans for the first major wind farm in Western Washington have been canceled because of federal restrictions to protect a threatened seabird, the marbled murrelet.

Richland-based Energy Northwest and four southwest Washington utilities spent four years and more than $4 million trying to put 32 wind turbines on Radar Ridge near Naselle. The Tri-City Herald reports Energy Northwest announced the cancellation Wednesday at a board meeting in Portland.

And, the threat to the seabird occurs once every two years.

Energy Northwest says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service imposed "untenable" restrictions on the wind farm because studies showed one bird could have been harmed every two years.

I am sure there is some environmentalist who wants no harm to occur due to a renewable energy project feels like this is a win.  But, I think the real winner is the bureaucracy.

A bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution,^[1] and may be^{[weasel words]} characterized by officialism and red tape.

Apple gets Permit for Solar Farm in Maiden

Charlotte Observer reports on Apple getting a permit for a Solar Farm in Maiden, NC.

Apple plans solar farm at data center site

By Dianne Straley
Correspondent

Posted: Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011

MAIDEN Apple has quietly begun work on a solar farm that apparently could help power its sprawling data center in southern Catawba County.

Permits issued by Catawba County show that the Cupertino, Calif., company has been approved to reshape the slope of some of the 171 acres of vacant land it owns on Startown Road, opposite the data center, in preparation of building a solar farm.

...

The engineering plans show how the company will keep soil that it moves around the site from washing into creeks and other areas. The permit has no detail about the solar farm itself, including its size. A Charlotte firm is listed on the erosion control permit as the contractor.

The plans say the site will have multiple gravel roads for access to its solar panels.

The plans are called "Project Dolphin Solar Farm A Expanded." Project Dolphin was the code name given Apple's plans to build a $1-billion data center in Maiden.