Google has launched its first clean energy project in Asia, with a long-term agreement to buy the output of a 10-megawatt solar array in Taiwan. The agreement is a collaboration between Google, several Taiwanese energy companies and the country’s government, which recently revised Taiwan’s Electricity Act to enable non-utility companies to purchase renewable energy directly. The revisions are part of Taiwan’s new energy policy, aimed at phasing out nuclear energy by 2025 and increasing the share of electricity generated from renewable sources to 20 percent. The solar array will be connected to the same regional power grid at Google’s Chuanghua County data center, one of two in Asia (the other is in Singapore). The poles supporting the solar panels will be mounted into commercial fishing ponds to maximize land-use efficiency and respect the local ecology. Fishing pond owners will also be compensated for hosting the panels.

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