Google's $4.75 billion acquisition of a clean energy company: the energy battle for AI data centers escalates.

[Bitu] Google's parent company Alphabet spent $4.75 billion (in cash and debt) to acquire clean energy developer Intersect Power. This is quite interesting — it marks the first time a major tech company has directly invested in a renewable energy company.

The logic behind it is clear: AI data centers are power-hungry, and Alphabet needs to ensure a sufficient and cheap supply of clean electricity. Right? To run AI, you need to operate 24/7, and electricity costs can eat up a large portion of profits. Instead of passively purchasing on the market, it's better to control the energy lifeline yourself.

Interestingly, Intersect will maintain an independent brand and team operations, still led by CEO Sheldon Kimber. This indicates that Alphabet is serious about making a long-term investment, rather than simply a capital acquisition.

This action also provides insights for the entire industry — energy costs are becoming a new bargaining chip in technological competition, including high-energy-consuming industries like crypto mining and data centers, which are rethinking their power supply chains.