Solar Deal Signals Renewable Infrastructure Investment

French energy major TotalEnergies has signed two long-term power purchase agreements to supply 1 gigawatt of solar-generated electricity to Alphabet’s Google data centres in Texas, a move that underscores increasing foreign direct investment in U.S. renewable energy infrastructure and tech-sector support services. The agreements, due to deliver some 28 terawatt-hours of clean power over 15 years, mark the largest renewable PPA the firm has secured in the United States to date.

Under the contracts, TotalEnergies will harness capacity from its Wichita and Mustang Creek solar sites in Texas, with construction on both expected to begin in the second quarter of 2026. The initiative aligns with Google’s substantial expansion of its data centre footprint in the state, part of a broader multi-billion-dollar investment trend by cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure providers seeking reliable, low-carbon energy sources.

TotalEnergies’ strategy reflects an effort by a European energy company to deepen its presence in the U.S. power market, especially in deregulated regions like Texas where price volatility and trading opportunities attract global capital. Beyond traditional oil and gas operations, the firm has been steadily increasing its portfolio of renewable and flexible energy assets to meet rising demand from corporate clients aiming to decarbonise operations.

For Google, securing long-term renewable energy supply is part of commitments to enhance the sustainability of its cloud and data services, and to mitigate the environmental impact of rapid capacity growth driven by AI workloads. Company officials have portrayed the deal as beneficial for local grid reliability and affordability, emphasising the added generation capacity as supporting both corporate users and broader regional demand