TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – U.S. technology giant Google announced its first green energy project in Asia yesterday, with the company set to partially power its data center in Changhua County with solar energy.

Google will purchase the output of a 10-megawatt solar array from a solar farm in Tainan City, about 100 kilometers south of the data center.

Google said the purchase enables the company to enjoy a long-term fixed energy price, while supporting its goal of carbon-free energy procurement for all its data centers.

The agreement comes about through collaboration between the tech giant, several Taiwanese companies, and the Taiwan government.

Chen Yu-chen (陳幼臻), senior manager of public and government affairs at Google Taiwan, told CNA that Taiwan’s open regulatory environment was a key factor in the process, and thanked a host of government agencies for their support.

The procurement also came about through collaboration with Diode Ventures, Taiyen Green Energy (臺鹽綠能), J&V Energy (雲豹能源), and New Green Power (永鑫能源).

Google will harness the power of 40,000 solar panels set up by New Green Power, and the electricity will be transferred through the regional power grid.

Google said the solar energy farm will have a “unique design and community impact.” The solar panels will be mounted on a metal frame above fishing ponds, to maximize land efficiency.