Google CEO Eric Schmidt proposed a new energy plan for the US that the company claims could reduce fossil fuel-based energy generation by 88 percent. As per the information available, the plan calls for the replacement of all coal- and oil-fired electricity generation with natural gas and renewable electricity, including a whopping 380 gigawatts of wind power, 250 gigawatts of solar power and 80 gigawatts of geothermal power.

"It's time for everyone get off their rear-ends and start taking [renewable energy] seriously," said Schmidt. "Solar, geothermal, wind are in fact high paying blue collar [and] white collar jobs. And by the way—they're in the US."

Google has appealed to the government for stricter building codes, a commitment to wind and solar tax credits that have often lapsed in the past, and a price on carbon through a cap-and-trade system or a tax. The group has already invested $45 million (£25.5 million) backing start-up companies that are trying to develop wind, solar and geothermal technologies.

The group is also lobbying for an upgrade of the national power grid network, which would include householders having meters that would let them see how much energy they consumed.