Google has been granted a license to trade energy on the wholesale market, as well as retail it to the consumer market. The approval comes from the US Federal energy regulator FERC.             

The company made the request quietly on the day before Christmas Eve, via its new subsidiary Google Energy. California's public utilities commission was an objector, but it is unclear on what grounds. To gain approval, Google had to assure the regulator it does not own or operate transmission or generation facilities.