Google buys wind power for Oklahoma data center

(Reuters) - U.S. Internet company Google Inc on Wednesday agreed to buy 48 megawatts (MW) of wind energy for its Oklahoma data center from the Canadian Hills wind power project in Oklahoma, which is expected to enter service later this year.

In a release, Google said it has been working with its local utility, the Grand River Dam Authority, to procure additional renewable energy since plugging in the Oklahoma data center in 2011.

In conjunction with the electricity the Grand River Dam Authority already supplies Google to operate its data center, Google said it would pay a premium to purchase renewable energy generated by Canadian Hills.

The Google data center is located in Mayes County about 170 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.

Google said the purchase brings the total amount of renewable energy it has contracted for to over 260 MW.

One megawatt can power about 1,000 homes.

Boston-based power generator Atlantic Power Corp owns 99 percent of the 298-MW Canadian Hills wind farm, which is located in El Reno about 30 miles west of Oklahoma City, according to Atlantic Power's website.

Atlantic Power said it sells all of the power from Canadian Hills to three power companies: Southwestern Electric Power Authority, the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority and Grand River Dam Authority.

(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by Leslie Adler)