“We want to have the ability to procure renewable energy to offset power usage of our operations,” said Niki Fenwick, a Google spokeswoman. Ms. Fenwick said that having access to more renewable energy could help the company fulfill its goal to become “carbon neutral.”

Well that’s what Ms. Fenwick said, but simply procuring renewable energy is probably not the end game here. Here’s why. In Google’s application they have applied to become a power marketer. That means they will be able to buy and sell electricity on the wholesale market. Okay, fine. But check out the following passage from the FERC  filing.

In addition to engaging in sales of electricity that are unregulated by the Commission, Applicant proposes to act as a power marketer, purchasing electricity and reselling it to wholesale customers. Applicant may also engage in other, non-jurisdictional, activities to facilitate efficient trade in the bulk power market, such as arranging services in related areas such as transmission and fuel supplies.

That section of the filing clearly indicates that Google Energy plans to do much more than just purchase renewable energy. They plan to sell energy too. Later on in Section III, Paragraph D of the filing you’ll find the following statement.

Applicant requests authority to sell specified ancillary services that the Commission has authorized market-based entities to sell in the markets operated by…

They go on to list almost all of the organized electricity markets in the U.S. as places where they would like to sell ancillary services. For those not in the know, ancillary services involves providing services, such as energy reserves for example, to the electric grid that help to maintain the stability and security of the grid. We don’t need to delve too much further into the details of that to know that it goes beyond merely providing for Google’s own energy needs.

There are many options for Google Energy with respect to electric market participation if their application is approved by the FERC. It’s true that Google Energy could simply purchase electricity to meet their own needs and do nothing more. But Google could do that without becoming a power marketer. The filed application indicates that Google has even larger aspirations than just purchasing power from the markets. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Popular Mechanics reports, “Dubbed the Mini E, it will be available for lease in three states—California, New York and New Jersey—and only to those companies and individuals participating in the 500-unit pilot program. A 204-hp electric motor resides under the hood and powers the front wheels, a single-speed gearbox provides motive power and a 35 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack supplies the juice. Unfortunately, the battery pack takes the space normally occupied by the rear seats, so this Mini is just a twofer.”

It all sounds great, but there is a problem with small, stylish electric cars that must be considered. While these vehicles are likely to excite young, urban dwellers with a decent amount of disposable income, this same demographic is also less likely to have access to an outlet to plug into the car for charging.

Generation Y urban dwellers are more likely to live in an apartment building with a parking garage than a 3-bedroom house with a private garage. Adding electric in a shared building garage (or outdoor parking lot) requires the buy-in of building management and/or apartment owners. As a former condominium and co-op owner in the New York City area I speak from experience when I say, “Good luck with that.” It is very hard to get building boards to agree on basic building upgrades let alone ones that will require tens our thousands of dollars in electrical system upgrades.

Given the lack of available charging infrastructure in and around major cities, it stands to reason that sales of plug-in electric vehicles will fare much better in the suburbs where vehicle emissions due to traffic congestion is a much smaller issue.

The problem is clear. Plug-in electric vehicles are most needed in areas that tend to have more vehicle congestion, higher emissions and higher gas prices. But people living in those same areas also have much less access to a reliable charging infrastructure. A solution to this problem will likely make the difference between plug-in electric cars as novelty, second vehicles for the suburbs and plug-ins as the standard for urban private transportation.

Autos like the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius were the pioneers in bringing clean technology to automobiles. While interest in hybrid automobile technology has seen relatively slow adoption in the U.S., sales of these and other hybrid cars have been steadily increasing as the price of gasoline has risen above three dollars per gallon.

Car makers are now looking past the standard hybrid technology to a new set of technologies that deliver better fuel economy and lower emissions. Here is a list of some of the cars that may be a part of the next generation of clean automobiles.

Make/Model: Kia Sportage
Technology: Hydrogen Fuel Cell
Due Date: 2012
Links: Kia World, Star Phoenix, Car Keys

Make/Model: Cadillac Provoq
Technology: Hydrogen Fuel Cell
Due Date: TBD
Links: New York Times, AutoBlog, PodTech

Make/Model: Chevrolet Volt
Technology: Plug-in Hybrid
Due Date: 2010
Links: Reuters, Chevrolet, Wikipedia, Detroit Free Press

Make/Model: Ford Escape
Technology: Plug-in Hybrid
Due Date: TBD
Links: Ford, AutoBlogGreen

Make/Model: Tesla Roadster
Technology: Plug-in Electric
Due Date: 2009
Links: Wikipedia, Tesla Motors, Car and Driver

The Technology

Similar to that of a standard hybrid electric vehicle (like the Toyota Prius) but with the added ability to plug the vehicle in to an outlet so the internal batteries can be recharged without the power of the combustion engine.

The Possibilities

Beneficial in reducing fuel consumption and emissions. The real innovation here is the possibility for the vehicle to provide backup power for a home or even assist in regulating electric grid frequency. Connection to the grid gives the vehicle owner the ability to offset their electricity costs.

The Challenges

As with conventional hybrids there is a cost premium involved here. Would also require a special plug (something like a clothes dryer plug) installed in the garage which is not a standard for home construction these days.

The Outlook

Its hard to say as production versions of these types of vehicles are still a couple of years away. Technology changes fast and new innovations (like all electric vehicles) could make the plug-in hybrid obsolete before it gets to market.

Research Links

Wikipedia
CalCars
Plug In America