Google in talks to support massive African wind project

Google gets lots of attention for expanding into novel technologies like driverless cars and artificial intelligence. But the technology giant also has put big bucks—more than $2 billion to date—into the next generation of energy production.

Now, the company is in discussions to back the largest wind power project in Africa, a fast-growing but power-starved continent, according to people familiar with the situation.

Google is negotiating to become an investor in the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project, a more than $700 million, 40,000 acre undertaking in Kenya. It's the largest private investment in the history of the East African country—where less than a quarter of the population has access to power—and the project's 310 megawatt capacity is expected to boost Kenya's installed energy capacity by 20 percent.

The deal is not finalized, according to the people, and, even if completed, Google's would be a minority stake.

A spokesman for Google declined to comment, and Turkana representative Rizwan Fazal said,
"Google is not involved in LTWP at present and LTWP has no agreement or understanding of any nature with Google."

Most of Google's renewable energy investments have been domestic, largely in wind and solar farms in places like West Texas and California's Mojave Desert. But the environmentally conscious company is increasingly looking outside the U.S.

In 2013, Google invested $12 million in South Africa's Jasper Power Project, one of the largest solar installations on the continent.

Google's director of energy and sustainability, Rick Needham, has said publicly the company only pursues investments that both make financial sense and that have "transformative" potential for the growth of clean energy.

"We're investing in clean energy so it's more accessible for our company and for everyone," Google's

"Green" website states. "We're helping create a clean energy future that's better for our business and the environment."

While Google's green investments are for profit, its philanthropic arm has supported SolarAid, which is working to build solar access for so-called off-grid African communities.