Demonstration of Granular Certificate Generation for Renewable Energy Use at Google Data Centers

JERA Cross Co., Inc. (“JERA Cross”), a subsidiary of JERA Co., Inc., announces that in April 2026 it conducted a demonstration project for Google Cloud’s data centers to generate Granular Certificates — hourly certificates verifying the use of renewable energy on an hourly basis — using non-fossil certificates derived from solar power supplied by JERA Cross, together with generation and demand data, in accordance with the Granular Certificate Scheme Standard2 proposed by EnergyTag1.

In the draft revision of the GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance3, the introduction of concepts such as hourly matching and deliverability is under consideration in relation to claims about the environmental attributes of electricity. It has been noted that more granular tracking-based verification of renewable energy use may be required in the future. As one approach to addressing such requirements, the Granular Certificate framework proposed by EnergyTag is being explored and demonstrated internationally, with initiatives currently underway in various countries. This demonstration was conducted as part of efforts to develop the necessary foundation in Japan4.

The Granular Certificate Scheme Standard requires that the environmental attributes of generated electricity be tracked on an hourly basis — together with attributes such as generation time, generation location, and energy source — and that they be temporally and geographically matched with electricity consumption on the demand side. Granular Energy5 and Flexidao6 are organizations accredited under the EnergyTag Granular Certificate Scheme, each of which meets the standard’s requirements for the completeness, accuracy, and transparency of hourly energy tracking.

In this demonstration, based on the framework above, Granular Energy and Flexidao performed hourly matching using non-fossil certificates from solar power plants provided by JERA Cross, together with hourly generation and demand data, and generated Granular Certificates that visualize the relationship between demand and generation on an hourly basis. This makes it possible to verify the temporal alignment between customer electricity use and renewable-energy-derived electricity.

This initiative is conducted separately from the non-fossil certificate system, under a framework based on the EnergyTag Standard*7, and is intended to demonstrate the correspondence between generation and consumption on an hourly basis. It does not alter the nature of certificates or the structure of the current non-fossil certificate system.

Through initiatives such as the provision of environmental value to Google Cloud’s data centers, JERA Cross will continue to advance the use of renewable energy and promote efforts toward the realization of a carbon-neutral and sustainable society.

Notes

*1  EnergyTag is an independent nonprofit organization that develops international standards for Granular Certificates, with the aim of optimizing the use of renewable energy and fostering transparent energy markets.

*2  An international standard specification for certifying and managing the environmental attributes of electricity, including renewable energy, at one-hour granularity. https://energytag.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/EnergyTag_Granular-Certificate-Scheme-Standard-V2.pdf

*3  The GHG Protocol is currently revising its Scope 2 Guidance. In the draft proposal, the introduction of requirements such as hourly matching and deliverability is being considered for claims related to the environmental attributes of electricity. https://ghgprotocol.org/blog/upcoming-scope-2-public-consultation-hourly-matching-and-deliverability

*4  For details on the development of the foundation in Japan, please refer to the report “Short Paper on the Social Implementation of Hourly Matching and Granular Certificates,” published on May 19, 2026 by Tanaka Laboratory, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo. https://www.ioe.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/news/hm-short-paper/

5  Granular Energy is a French startup launched in 2021, co-founded by Dr. Toby Ferenczi, who founded the independent nonprofit standards organization EnergyTag. The company is a leading provider of solutions that enhance energy transparency, including pioneering implementations of 24/7 carbon-free electricity (8).

*6  Flexidao provides data and tools that enable organizations to efficiently manage their clean electricity portfolios, supporting risk identification and mitigation, streamlined reporting, and improved decarbonization outcomes. Flexidao integrates electricity metering data and certificate data from Europe, the United States, Latin America, and the APAC region into a standardized platform. Through this platform, companies can consolidate PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) monitoring, assurance, portfolio management, and EAC (Energy Attribute Certificate) management in a single solution.

*7  An international standard for 24/7 carbon-free electricity promoted by EnergyTag, an independent nonprofit organization. It supports the transition to a decarbonized electricity system by providing a framework that certifies hourly matching between electricity consumption and green energy supply, such as renewable energy.

*8  “24/7 (twenty-four seven) carbon-free electricity” refers to electricity that does not emit CO₂ at any hour of the day, every day of the year. In accordance with Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry “Guidelines for Retail Electricity Business,” the term denotes a supply scheme in which 100% of demand electricity is sourced from CO₂ zero-emission power sources (renewable energy generation facilities and hydrogen generation facilities) and supplied together with environmental value through the use of non-fossil certificates. It does not signify that no CO₂ is emitted across the full lifecycle, including fuel production and transportation.