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Energy Empire · July 9 · 1 hr 16 min

Sheldon Kimber on Why Google Paid $4.75 Billion for His Power Company

In March, Google paid $4.75 billion to buy Intersect — the first time a Big Tech giant has bought a clean energy developer. Jigar and Jamie talk with Sheldon about why Google decided it had to own a power company, how the race to build data centers is reshaping the American grid, and what it actually takes to build gigawatt-scale energy next door to small Texas towns. Along the way: why he says his power plants are more stabilizing than a nuclear reactor, the on-air rematch of the LinkedIn argument where Jigar and Sheldon go at it over off-grid data centers, and a rare, candid turn on mental health, leadership, and the strange grief of selling the company he built. Links: Submit a question to Ask Jigar: https://octopusenergy.com/ask-jigar S2G Investments: https://www.s2ginvestments.com/insights/podcast-global-energy-order Octopus Energy: https://octopusenergy.com/faas Merch store: https://energy-empire.bonfire.com/collection/all-products

0:00-1:16:06

transcript

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show notes

In March, Google paid $4.75 billion to buy Intersect — the first time a Big Tech giant has bought a clean energy developer.


Jigar and Jamie talk with Sheldon about why Google decided it had to own a power company, how the race to build data centers is reshaping the American grid, and what it actually takes to build gigawatt-scale energy next door to small Texas towns.


Along the way: why he says his power plants are more stabilizing than a nuclear reactor, the on-air rematch of the LinkedIn argument where Jigar and Sheldon go at it over off-grid data centers, and a rare, candid turn on mental health, leadership, and the strange grief of selling the company he built.


Links:


Submit a question to Ask Jigar: https://octopusenergy.com/ask-jigar


S2G Investments: https://www.s2ginvestments.com/insights/podcast-global-energy-order


Octopus Energy: https://octopusenergy.com/faas


Merch store: https://energy-empire.bonfire.com/collection/all-products

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