Google plans multibillion-dollar data center in Putnam County

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Governor Patrick Morrisey announced that Google has secured approval to develop a multibillion-dollar data center in Putnam County, West Virginia. The project involves Google acquiring land and has been designated a High Impact Development Project, signaling West Virginia's strategic push to become a hub for artificial intelligence and cloud computing infrastructure. State officials confirmed that Google will bear the full costs of electricity for the site, as well as necessary upgrades to electrical, water, and sewer systems, ensuring no burden on residential customers. Additionally, Google has committed to replenishing more water than it consumes by 2030, aligning with its sustainability goals. While details are still emerging as the project is in its early stages, Google representatives are slated to meet with local officials for ongoing discussions. Morganne Tenney, executive director of the Putnam County Development Association, expressed enthusiasm for the project, highlighting Google's thorough due diligence and its commitment to local community engagement and utility infrastructure investment. The announcement follows legislative efforts by state leaders, including House Bill 2014 and House Bill 2002, aimed at streamlining development and ensuring energy availability for large-scale projects like this. West Virginia is actively positioning itself to attract energy-intensive data centers, leveraging its natural gas resources, water access, and transportation infrastructure. The state's long-term energy strategy includes a goal to expand power generation capacity to 50 gigawatts by 2050 to support industrial growth, with other significant data center projects already planned in Berkeley and Mason counties.