Collaborating with a variety of utilities and energy service providers, we believe that increasing value for Nest customers can also increase value for utilities — and improve the resiliency of the grid itself.
Here's how Google, working with a broad coalition of energy providers, is using Nest Renew1 to support a clean energy future.
Nest Energy Partners.
Nest Renew's partners include some of the most innovative and prominent energy service providers in the nation, including AES, Consumers Energy, Duke Energy, NRG, Pacific Gas & Electric, Portland General Electric, Southern California Edison, Southern Company, and National Grid. All support Google in our vision of a carbon-free energy grid that is both efficient and resilient.
Supporting renewable energy, and helping users make more sustainable choices, are top priorities for Nest Renew. The program can help users prioritize usage2 during times when the grid is cleaner and encourages users to participate in programs with energy partners that help balance the grid and avoid costly upgrades. Google is creating new pathways to engage customers with time-of-use rates, increase participation in demand response programs, and increase consumer support for renewable energy. These tools arm customers with the information to better understand their energy usage and feel empowered to take proactive steps to use cleaner energy. It's not just an energy shift. It's a behavior shift.
A key promoter of positive behaviors is the Rush Hour Rewards program3, which rewards Nest customers when they reduce their energy consumption during peak usage hours. Enrolling customers into these types of programs, in cooperation with energy providers, helps reduce stress on the grid. Nest Renew works with Google's energy partners to share these programs with over 80 utilities territories and wholesale markets throughout the U.S., covering over 40 percent of American consumers.
Energy Shift,2 a hero feature of Nest Renew, helps users prioritize their thermostat usage to times when the power on their grid is cleaner.3 It also can respond by making small adjustments to your thermostat that can help reduce your energy usage.
Supporting renewable energy with Nest Renew Premium.
Nest Renew Premium4 unlocks a feature called Clean Energy Match, which is one of the ways users can amplify their positive impact with Renew. Clean Energy Match utilizes renewable energy credits (RECs), with the majority sourced from the Southern Company Bethel Wind plant in Castro County, Texas, and the remainder coming from U.S. solar.5 In 2023, the Roseland Solar project in Falls County, Texas, will join the program as well.
Google sought partners whose vision aligned with our own. Together, we are committed to a clean energy future.
- 1Nest Renew requires 3rd generation Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest Thermostat E, or the newest Nest Thermostat (sold separately), connected to a Google account. Nest Renew available in select locations.
- 2Adjustments only shift electricity usage from your heating and cooling. Only available in areas served by major continental U.S. grids, see here.
- 3Rush Hour Rewards requires a compatible Nest thermostat (sold separately). For a list of compatible Nest thermostats, see here.
- 4$10/month subscription required.
- 5Learn how this is done with renewable energy credits.
