But that\u2019s only part of the story. In fact, $10 million is just a drop in the bucket of Alphabet\u2019s AI- and energy-related investments. \u201cAlphabet invested roughly $90 billion in capital expenditures in 2025 and plans to nearly double that to as much as $185 billion in 2026,\u201d according to a recent report<\/a> from Cleanview, a market intelligence platform. \u201cMost of that money will flow to data centers\u2014and the infrastructure needed to power them,\u201d the article went on to say. And that significant infrastructure expansion will not be all centered on clean power. Already, Alphabet is \u2013 much more quietly \u2013 also building up natural gas resources to fuel its generative AI ambitions.<\/p>\n Google is currently partnering with Crusoe Energy to build a data center campus in North Texas that will include a wind farm \u2013 and a massive natural gas facility. So far, Google is tight-lipped about the issue, while continuing to promote its image as a champion of clean energy development. In a recent interview with Axios<\/a>, Google\u2019s head of advanced energy Michael Terrell emphasized its various investments into geothermal, fusion, advanced nuclear reactors and batteries, and said that \u201cI do think our public projects provide a good roadmap into how we\u2019re thinking about solving this challenge.\u201d However, when asked about the role of natural gas in the company\u2019s strategy, Terrell said: \u201cWe don\u2019t have anything to say on that.\u201d<\/p>\n Related: Six Stocks That Could Soar in an Era of Regional Instability<\/a><\/p>\n However, it\u2019s been clear for years that Google\u2019s artificial intelligence aims are incompatible with its pre-existing decarbonization targets. In 2024, Google admitted that the company\u2019s carbon emissions had skyrocketed by 48 percent over the previous five-year span<\/a> thanks to the AI boom. Google had previously pledged to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, but the tech giant was forced to concede that \u201cas we further integrate AI into our products, reducing emissions may be challenging.\u201d<\/p>\n However, it\u2019s true that the company is also continuing to push development of next-gen clean energy solutions. The extent to which those efforts amount to greenwashing is, to a large degree, a matter of perspective. \u201cMany climate activists will see Google exploring natural gas as a sort of betrayal,\u201d said Michael Thomas, the founder of Cleanview.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no doubt that it would be in tension with the company\u2019s stated \u2018moonshot\u2019 goal of becoming carbon-free by 2030,\u201d he went on to say. \u201cBut it\u2019s also true that Google is voluntarily investing more in clean energy technology than almost any other entity \u2014 public or private \u2014 in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n And Google is far from alone. Natural gas is currently getting a major boost from all of the biggest players in tech. Microsoft announced<\/a> a gas-powered data center deal with Chevron just last month, and Meta is currently planning<\/a> the country\u2019s biggest power facility, which will include no fewer than seven natural gas plants.<\/p>\n By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com<\/a><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/book.jpg\"\/)
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