Google says first data center at Botetourt Center will utilize air-cooling technology
Google announced that the first data center building at its Botetourt County campus will utilize air-cooling technology, a change intended to reduce water consumption. While Botetourt County officials view this as a positive step, opponents remain skeptical, citing continued lack of transparency regarding overall water usage.
Google has announced a significant update to its data center campus planned for Botetourt County, Virginia. The company stated that the first data center building at the Botetourt Center at Greenfield will now use air-cooling technology, a decision driven by business needs and aimed at reducing the site's overall water consumption.
Botetourt County Administrator Gary LaRoue called this a "positive update" for the county, noting that Google has provided greater certainty for the project's first phase and reinforced that this "transformational investment" remains on schedule. However, opponents of the project are not convinced. Audrey Wod, a member of the Environmental Accountability and Strategy Team (EAST), an independent citizen group, views the announcement as merely a "public relations ploy.
EAST is concerned about the lack of transparency regarding the project's water usage. Despite Google's commitment to minimizing water usage with the Western Virginia Water Authority, the authority confirmed it maintains an agreement allowing Google to start with 2 million gallons of water daily, with the potential to increase to 8 million gallons. Water usage estimates for the air-cooled data center and the future Data Centers two and three are still pending, leading to ongoing skepticism among citizen groups.