Google, stepping in for Crusoe, pitches 700-acre data center campus to Laramie County on Wednesday

Google has assumed leadership of Project Tembo, a substantial $17 billion data center development in Laramie County, Wyoming, near Cheyenne. The project was originally helmed by Crusoe Energy, which abandoned the venture earlier this year. Google's acquisition has led to a slight reduction in the project's scale, now encompassing four data center buildings, a logistics center, and a two-story Google office building on the 700-acre campus.

Eric Murray, Google's land acquisition and development lead, informed Laramie County residents at a community meeting that the project represents a significant $17 billion investment, with full operation expected by the end of 2031. Google representatives, including Trystine Payfer (public and government affairs) and local expert Jim Johnson, addressed community concerns regarding water usage, air pollution from backup generators, noise, lighting, and electromagnetic fields. Google committed to a closed-loop cooling system, drawing water from the Lance Formation aquifer, and replenishing 120% of its annual water consumption through regional stewardship projects.

The project is also a collaborative effort involving Tallgrass, an energy infrastructure company that will develop adjacent power generation facilities to supply electricity, keeping the data centers off the local Cheyenne grid. Related Digital will serve as the lead developer, managing construction. The transition from Crusoe to Google resulted in a downsized site plan that the county approved administratively, but Google is now seeking a conditional use permit and site plan approval from the Laramie County Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners for its proposed office complex. Site development is scheduled to begin by the end of 2024.