A: Hey there! Did you hear about Meta lately?
B: No, what's up?

A: Well, they signed three deals this week to get nearly a gigawatt of solar power!
B: Wow, that's a lot! What does it mean for their AI ambitions?

A: I think it means they're trying to make their operations more green and sustainable. Solar is cheap and easy to build, which is why tech companies like Meta are going for it.
B: So, where did they get these solar power?

A: One was in Louisiana, where they bought the environmental attributes of 385 megawatts. The other one was a larger deal in Texas, where they'll buy 600 megawatts from a massive solar farm. Both projects are expected to be done in two years.
B: Interesting! What happens with these solar power?

A: For the Louisiana deals, they're buying certificates that allow them to offset their carbon-intensive sources of power. As for Texas, the solar power won't connect directly to Meta data centers, but it will feed into the local grid, helping to offset its use by the facilities.
B: Oh, I see. But aren't these certificates being criticized?

A: Yeah, some experts say that these environmental attribute certificates (EACs) can obscure the true carbon footprint of tech companies’ operations. They were introduced when renewables were expensive, but now the cost of new solar and wind has dropped dramatically.
B: So what should they do instead?

A: If companies truly want to offset their energy use from AI, experts argue that they should be encouraging developers to build new renewable capacity instead. That way, they can reduce their carbon footprint more effectively.