To address their energy needs, many tech firms are entering power purchase agreements (PPAs), Stoner says. A PPA is when a third party provides energy—sometimes from renewable sources—to companies like Microsoft and Google.
“The problem with that is it’s not necessarily additional,” Stoner tells PCMag. “The companies can make themselves feel good by entering into these sorts of arrangements, [but] they’re really just consuming renewable energy that others would happily consume as well.”