Google suggests clean energy might power Botetourt County data center

Google has formally announced its intentions to build a data center in Botetourt County, Virginia, after acquiring over 300 acres in the Greenfield industrial park last year. Despite the official announcement via a press release, opponents of the project have expressed significant frustration over a lack of specific information, particularly concerning how the facility will draw its power. Many project details remain confidential due to non-disclosure agreements with local government agencies and other partners. Clay Allsop, Google's regional head of data center public affairs, indicated the Botetourt facility would be a "middle scale" data center for the company. He stated that the precise power usage is still being finalized as Google negotiates power agreements with utility partners, specifically mentioning Appalachian Power (ApCo). Allsop assured that the Virginia agreements would adhere to the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which aims to phase out fossil fuels by 2050, implying the use of renewables like solar or wind. He also highlighted Google's broader initiative to procure 23 gigawatts of carbon-free power for its data center portfolio globally. Critics, represented by a member of the Southwest Virginia Data Center Transparency Alliance, remain skeptical, referencing Google's reported involvement with a natural gas-fired power plant in Texas for a different data center campus. The article also noted that while Google has signed an agreement to buy power from a wind farm under construction elsewhere in Botetourt County, that power will not directly supply the data center due to different utility service territories.