Google Plans $17 Billion Wyoming Data Center Powered by 702 MW of Fuel Cells

Google said on November 5 that it is building its first data center in Wyoming, a $17 billion long-term investment in Laramie County, near Cheyenne.

The power plan

Steve Walter, Google's vice president of global infrastructure and energy, wrote that Google will pay for 100% of the power the facility uses. American Electric Power is contracted for a 702-megawatt fuel-cell development that Google called "the largest planned development of its kind to date." The fuel cells run on natural gas and are made in the United States by Bloom Energy.

Google is also buying power from gas generators operated by Tallgrass Energy and Black Hills Energy. Other named partners include Related Digital.

Carbon capture and water

Google said a front-end engineering and design study will assess adding carbon capture to Tallgrass's combined-cycle turbines. Most of the project's emissions would be captured and stored underground at Tallgrass's nearby Eastern Wyoming Sequestration Hub. Google said this builds on its first U.S. carbon-capture project, announced last fall, and brings its contracted capture capacity to nearly one gigawatt.

The data center will be air-cooled to reduce strain on local water supplies, and Google said it will invest in local water replenishment.

Community commitments

• Google says the project is expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in property taxes for Laramie County and its School District 1.
• Planned investments focus on K-12 education, workforce development and economic growth, including grants for STEM education, local entrepreneurs and skilled-trades training.
• Google and its partners are forming a Community Council to address how data center growth affects Cheyenne.
• The company said it spoke with more than 200 Laramie County residents at a community meeting in Cheyenne.

The blog post did not give a job count, a completion date or the carbon-capture rate.

Context

The announcement comes as data centers draw growing local scrutiny over power, water and costs. Pairing on-site generation with a carbon-capture study is one approach large operators are testing to add capacity without waiting on grid upgrades. Google has not said when the facility will open.