Stearns County Commissioner Tours Google Data Center Taking Shape Near Amarillo
Stearns County Commissioner Steve Notch toured Google’s data center under construction near Claude, Texas, outside Amarillo. The facility is expected to open by the end of 2027 with about 200 employees and will use on-site wind power and closed-loop water systems to limit impacts on local utilities.
Stearns County Commissioner Steve Notch joined about 125 county commissioners on a tour of Google’s data center under construction on roughly 1,100 acres near Claude, Texas. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2027 and employ approximately 200 people. The site includes wind farms, solar facilities, holding ponds and reservoirs, and Google representatives said its power and water systems are designed to remain neutral for local residents.
Notch said the project could bring significant economic benefits, including donations to local schools, emergency medical services and fire departments, as well as additional tax revenue. He also described potential concerns involving electricity and water use, wind-turbine impacts on birds, contamination from a chiller leak and the long-term viability of a large facility. He noted that Stearns County’s current ordinances do not accommodate data centers and that local officials would need to determine how such projects fit within the county’s comprehensive plan.