Massive Google data center coming to rural Missouri. Why?
Google is planning to build a massive data center in rural Montgomery County, Missouri. While Google attributes its choice to a great talent pool and community partners, research from Rice University suggests that data center companies prioritize low costs, abundant land, and access to electricity over job creation or community benefit. County officials and residents are expected to weigh in on the development.
KSDK 5 On Your Side investigated Google's decision to build one of its largest megadata centers in rural Montgomery County, Missouri. Google officials previously cited the area's "great talent pool" and "community partners" as reasons for their choice.
However, a study by Houston's Rice University contradicts Google's altruistic claims. Researchers analyzed data center market trends and concluded that companies often select rural locations not for job creation or economic boost, but due to lower costs, ample land availability, construction costs, network connectivity, and access to electricity.
The study highlights that local governments frequently offer tax incentives to attract data centers, expecting high-tech job creation, but other factors like infrastructure and cost appear to be more significant to cloud providers. The motivations behind Google's decision are gaining importance as Montgomery County officials and residents prepare to voice their opinions on the development.