Google announced plans for its first data center in Wyoming, part of a $17 billion investment in the state. The project includes a contracted 702-megawatt fuel cell development that will use natural gas to generate electricity, alongside carbon capture and storage.
The company is working with Tallgrass Energy, Black Hills Energy, American Electric Power, or AEP, and Related Digital on the project. Google says it will pay for all the power it uses and cover infrastructure needs directly caused by its growth.
The power plan includes carbon capture
The fuel cell development is contracted with AEP. Its fuel cells will be made in the United States by Bloom Energy. Google says the carbon capture system will store a large majority of the development’s carbon emissions permanently at Tallgrass’s nearby Eastern Wyoming Sequestration Hub.
Google is also sourcing power from gas generators operated by Tallgrass Energy and Black Hills Energy. A technical study will assess whether Tallgrass’s combined cycle turbines could be fitted with carbon capture technology. The data center itself will use air cooling, which Google says will reduce demand on local water resources.
Google outlines local investment plans
Google says the project will support thousands of jobs and expects it to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in property taxes for Laramie County and School District 1. Its community investment plans focus on K-12 education, workforce development and Wyoming’s economy.
After a meeting with more than 200 Laramie County residents in Cheyenne, Google and its project partners said they are forming a Community Council to address concerns about data center growth in the city.
Google says it will share more about its community partnerships in the coming weeks.
