Can Gas Go Green? Google Thinks So

Google’s Illinois power deal shows carbon capture moving from climate experiment to mainstream clean energy strategy

6 Jan 2026

A Google-backed power project in the US Midwest could mark a turning point for carbon capture, signaling that the technology is edging into the energy mainstream. As electricity demand soars, the search for cleaner, steadier power is forcing companies to think beyond wind and solar alone.

At the center of this shift is a planned 400-megawatt natural gas plant in Decatur, Illinois. The facility will capture and permanently store around 90 percent of its carbon emissions, according to its developers. Google has agreed to buy most of the electricity under a long-term deal, giving the project financial stability while advancing the company’s push for firm, low-carbon energy. Broadwing Energy is leading development, with Low Carbon Infrastructure handling carbon capture and storage.

The partnership reflects how major electricity buyers are redefining what counts as clean. Renewable generation continues to grow, but its variability makes it hard to ensure uninterrupted supply, something data centers cannot afford to risk. Gas plants equipped with carbon capture offer a potential middle path that combines reliability with deep emissions cuts.

Analysts say the deal shows corporate power buyers moving beyond renewable credits toward contracts that deliver tangible decarbonization. Embedding capture technology directly into supply agreements forces developers to prove the technology works at commercial scale.

Challenges persist. Capturing carbon adds cost and complexity, and the economics still hinge on federal incentives and smooth permitting. Environmental advocates also warn that if capture systems falter, emissions could rise instead of fall.

Even so, momentum is building. As demand for power climbs and pressure to cut carbon intensifies, projects like Decatur’s could redefine what clean power means, anchoring a future where reliability and sustainability finally pull in the same direction.