Google announces environmentally sustainable data center project in Texas

Google has unveiled plans for a new data center in Wilbarger County, Texas, with a focus on environmental sustainability. This facility will be powered by clean energy generated onsite, thanks to a partnership with US energy company AES.

In an effort to integrate renewable energy directly into its operations, Google stated that the data center will be co-located with new clean power plants developed and operated by AES. Under this "power first" approach, the data center and energy infrastructure will come online together, reducing the need for additional infrastructure while optimizing the use of the existing power grid. Google has not yet disclosed a timeline for this project.

Clean energy partnership to power operations

AES has already secured the necessary land and interconnection agreements to move forward with the co-located facility. The energy provider will construct and operate the required shared electricity infrastructure and manage the generation assets. Additionally, Google and AES have signed a series of 20-year Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) tied to the colocated energy assets.

"Our expanded partnership with Google demonstrates how AES can accelerate data center development by delivering powered land and energy at scale", said Andrés Gluski, president and CEO of AES. "AES is recognized as a world leader in providing energy solutions to technology companies. To date, AES has signed agreements for nearly 12GW of energy with data center customers. Of these, 9GW are PPAs directly with hyperscalers."

AES will also provide other services to support the data center under a long-term energy management agreement, including retail and cost-optimization solutions.

A focus on sustainability and water conservation

As part of its sustainability goals, the Wilbarger County data center will use advanced air-cooling technology to eliminate operational water use. Water consumption will be limited to essential campus operations, such as kitchens. Google has also committed to replenishing more water than the facility consumes and plans to collaborate with organizations like Texan by Nature and Texas Water Trade to enhance watershed health throughout the state.

"Google's data centers are long-term investments in the communities we call home, and our new site in Wilbarger County will be no exception", said Amanda Peterson Corio, Google’s global head of data center energy. "In partnership with AES, we are bringing new clean generation online directly alongside the data center to minimize local grid impact and protect energy affordability. We are also pairing this new power with advanced air-cooling to eliminate operational water use, ensuring Texas remains both sustainable and resource abundant."

Continued investment in Texas

This project is part of Google’s broader commitment to Texas, a state where the company already has operational data center campuses in Midlothian and Red Oak. Additionally, two more facilities are under construction in Armstrong and Haskell Counties.

Last November, Google announced a significant financial commitment to the state, promising $40 billion in investments through 2027 to expand its cloud and AI infrastructure.

"Texas is at the center of the world’s AI leadership, and our expansion into Wilbarger County is a testament to the state's incredible talent and infrastructure", said Andrew Hart, Google’s head of data center public affairs for Texas. "We are proud of our close collaboration with local leaders to bring a new Google data center to Wilbarger County, ensuring the Lone Star State continues to be home to American innovation and affordable, abundant energy."

The Wilbarger County project further reinforces Google’s efforts to align its data center operations with sustainable practices while supporting the local community and energy infrastructure in Texas.

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