Google breaks ground on two new data center campuses in South Carolina as part of $3.3 billion investment

Google announced a $3.3 billion investment in South Carolina to expand its cloud and data center infrastructure. The company also announced new support for energy affordability programs and a local watershed health improvement project.

Google broke ground on two new data center campuses in Dorchester County, representing a $2 billion investment. The remaining funding will support growing its existing presence in South Carolina, including our Berkeley County campus. These facilities will help meet growing Google Cloud demand in the region and deliver the digital products and services that people and organizations use every day.

The South Carolina cloud region is part of Google Cloud’s global network of 40 regions that deliver high-performance and low-latency services to large enterprises, startups, and public sector organizations. Customers benefit from key controls that enable them to maintain the highest security, data residency, and compliance standards — including specific data storage requirements.

Creating Economic Opportunities

These announcements will create 200 new, operational jobs in Dorchester County and approximately 1,200 long-term construction jobs. In addition, this investment in our Berkeley County data center will support continued job growth in South Carolina, building on the 900 jobs existing on the site today.

Data centers are the engines behind the growing digital economy. In 2023, Google helped provide more than $6 billion of economic activity for hundreds of thousands of South Carolina businesses, publishers, nonprofits, creators and developers. To help South Carolinians access the opportunities created by technology, Google has also helped train over 162,000 residents in digital skills in partnership with 160 local organizations such as public libraries, chambers of commerce, community colleges, and more.

“Today marks a significant milestone in Google’s collaboration with South Carolina. Our continued investment is a testament to the state’s exceptional workforce and thriving business environment,” said Monique Picou, Global Vice President of Cloud Supply Chain and Operations, Google. “Google data centers are the backbone of digital services that underpin our modern lives, along with tech innovation like AI. We’re grateful for the collaboration with leaders in the state to not only grow our digital infrastructure here, but contribute to this thriving community.”

“Google’s latest investment will strengthen South Carolina’s position as an emerging leader in technology and innovation,” said South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. “We are proud to support Google’s operations in Dorchester and Berkeley counties and look forward to the many opportunities our continued partnership will create for our people.”

Expanding Access to Clean Energy for South Carolina

Google data centers are among the most efficient in the world, and the company is pursuing an ambitious 2030 goal to run on 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE) on every grid where it operates.

To date, Google has collaborated with South Carolina’s electric utilities to bring more than 128 megawatts (MW) of new solar energy and battery storage resources to the state, aimed at making the grid more reliable and electricity more affordable for all. Google will continue working with its utility partners to unlock additional resources that can provide much-needed capacity during grid peaks in South Carolina.

To expand access to the benefits of clean energy, Google has partnered with the Sustainability Institute, Sol Systems, and funded rural electric co-ops over the past two years to help fund critical pre-weatherization and energy efficiency improvements for low- and moderate-income (LMI) households in South Carolina. So far, participating households have saved between $500 and $800 per year in energy costs. Today, Google is announcing $1.6 million in new funding to expand the reach and impact of this program in South Carolina and North Carolina.

“This significant, multi-year investment from Google will expand the weatherization work that has been life-changing for so many of our clients. It has been heartwarming to experience the joy and hope families have when their energy expenses drop or they finally receive repairs they have needed for so long,” said Bryan H. Coredell, The Sustainability Institute’s Executive Director.

Improving the Local Watershed

Google’s climate-conscious approach to cooling data centers prioritizes minimizing net climate impact and using natural resources responsibly, both today and in the future. Beyond its operations, the company is committed to improving local watershed health where its offices and data centers are located and aims to replenish 120% of the water it consumes, on average, by 2030.

In South Carolina, Google is contributing $600,000 to support The Nature Conservancy’s work to help restore the longleaf pine ecosystem, which will decrease evapotranspiration and retain water in the Cooper River Watershed. Healthy longleaf pine ecosystems support wildlife habitat, build natural resilience to wildfires and help restore water flow to nearby streams and wetlands.

Learn more about Google in South Carolina at: g.co/economicimpact/sc.