Google expands AI sustainability work in India: Solar API for 300M rooftops, 150MW Rajasthan solar, and rice methane project

Google has announced five sustainability initiatives in India that use AI, satellite imagery, and data tools for energy and climate work. The biggest expansion is its Solar API, which now covers more than 300 million rooftops so installers can assess solar potential remotely and build proposals before visiting a site. The company also signed a 150MW solar agreement with ReNew Power in Rajasthan, its second Scope 3 solar deal in India, bringing its total contracted solar with ReNew to 300MW. On the agriculture side, Google is backing an Alternate Wetting and Drying project with Mitti Labs for rice farmers in Telangana. That method can cut methane and water use, and Google estimates it could avoid nearly 3 million tonnes of CO2e over 20 years. The company also expanded its Centre for Climate Technology to cover water stewardship, e-waste, and battery recycling, and selected four Indian startups for its DeepMind accelerator. These initiatives combine software, research, and direct renewable procurement. They are not a single fix, but they show how AI is being applied to solar deployment, farm-level emissions, and waste management in a large, fast-growing energy market.