Google-Owned Wind Farm Company Expanding Into Huge Chunk Of Former Alameda Naval Base
ALAMEDA (KCBS) — Google is expanding its presence in the East Bay as a wind energy company it owns has secured a new lease at the formal naval base in Alameda.
When Google bought Makani Power in 2013, the seven year-old start up was leasing 17, 000 square feet at Alameda Point. The new lease calls for 127,000 square feet—with an option to take over the adjacent hangars and buildings as they become available.
"It's exciting to the city of Alameda on number of different levels," Alameda Mayor Marie Gilmore told KCBS. "One, we get to keep a tenant and who is seriously on the cutting edge of technology, and with Google's investment. Who wouldn't want to have a high profile tenant like Google?"
The city is moving ahead with plans to redevelop Alameda Point and Gilmore said she hopes Google's presence communicates to companies that it's "the place to be."
Makani Power is working to build off-shore wind farms using tethered-winged devices that capture wind energy at high altitudes or above deep waters. The company has released a video that shows testing of the device:
They've also created an animation of what an onshore operation would look like.