October 23, 2025
In a landmark move for the tech industry's energy strategy, Google has signed a first-of-its-kind corporate agreement to purchase power from a new 400-megawatt natural gas-fired plant in Illinois that will be equipped with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. The deal signals a strategic pivot by major corporate energy buyers to secure reliable, low-carbon power to meet the soaring electricity demands of artificial intelligence and data centers.
The agreement, announced by Google’s Head of Advanced Energy, Michael Terrell, in an October blog post, involves the Broadwing Energy Center in Decatur, Illinois. Developed by Low Carbon Infrastructure (LCI), a portfolio company of I Squared Capital, the project is slated to begin construction next year. It is expected to be operational by the end of 2029, producing power and 1.5 million pounds of steam per hour, with its carbon capture component coming online by early 2030.
The cogeneration plant will be built on an existing Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) site, adjacent to ADM's long-running carbon sequestration operation. This location is strategic, as ADM operates one of the nation's most established carbon storage sites, having safely injected over 4 million metric tons of CO₂ from its corn-processing operations deep underground into the Mt. Simon sandstone formation. This existing infrastructure will serve as the foundation for storing the CO₂ captured from the Broadwing plant.
Upon completion, the Broadwing facility will be one of the first commercial-scale natural gas plants in the U.S. to integrate combined heat-and-power (CHP) generation with carbon capture and dedicated geologic storage. The electricity will be distributed to Google via the regional grid, while the steam will be supplied to ADM for its industrial processes.
“By agreeing to buy most of the power [Broadwing] generates, Google is helping get this new, baseload power source built and connected to the regional grid that supports our data centers,” Terrell stated. He emphasized that the collaboration aims to “accelerate the path for CCS technology to become more accessible and affordable globally.”
How the Project Works
The Broadwing Energy Center will operate as a gas-fired CHP facility, designed to capture over 90% of its CO₂ emissions. The process will employ a post-combustion amine absorption system. Flue gas from a Mitsubishi Power gas turbine will be cooled and treated in an absorber column where an amine solution chemically bonds with the CO₂. The CO₂-rich solution is then heated to release the gas, which is compressed into a liquid and permanently stored in ADM’s EPA-approved underground wells.
LCI and its partners have characterized the project as “a blueprint for delivering reliable, dispatchable, low-carbon power at commercial scale.” Jonathan Wiens, LCI’s CEO, stated that Broadwing “demonstrates that carbon capture can be commercially viable today.”
Part of a Broader Clean Energy Strategy
The Broadwing agreement is the latest in a series of strategic moves by Google to commercialize next-generation clean energy technologies. This strategy is central to its goal of operating on 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030. Recent initiatives include:
* A 200-MW power purchase agreement with Commonwealth Fusion Systems in June 2025.
* The world’s largest corporate hydropower deal with Brookfield Asset Management in July 2025.
* A landmark "Clean Capacity Agreement" with Indiana Michigan Power in August 2024.
* Collaborative procurement efforts with Microsoft and Nucor to aggregate demand for advanced nuclear, geothermal, and clean hydrogen.
To ensure the environmental integrity of the Broadwing project, Google will utilize a newly released standard for CCS-specific Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs). This standard provides a credible, auditable mechanism for quantifying and claiming emissions reductions, addressing a critical need for precise accountability in corporate power purchasing.
The project underscores a growing trend identified in industry reports: as data center demand explodes, natural gas plants with CCS are emerging as a practical, low-carbon solution that offers geographic flexibility and reliability. The Broadwing project not only aims to power the digital economy but also serves as a commercial-scale test case for the viability of carbon capture in the power sector.
SOURCE powermag
