WebProNews

Google wants to save the world, and the company isn’t going about it in a halfhearted manner; according to a new announcement, Google will put hundreds of millions of dollars towards “a new strategic initiative to develop electricity from renewable energy sources that will be cheaper than electricity produced from coal.”

eSolar and Makani Power are scheduled to lead the charge along with the search engine giant.  What’s more, the initiative - known as Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal, or RE<C - “is hiring engineers and energy experts to lead its research and development work, which will begin with a significant effort on solar thermal technology, and will also investigate enhanced geothermal systems and other areas.”

There’s no guarantee that RE<C will have more luck than however many corporations and inventors have already tried their hands at this sort of thing.  Still, Google’s backing might really mean something - the company at times appears to have a golden touch - and cofounder Larry Page hopes the initiative will have results in “years, not decades.”

More information about RE<C is due out later today.  We’ll keep our ears open and eyes peeled as this potentially world-changing development is discussed.