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Google breaks ground in Dorchester County

SUMMERVILLE, S.C.(September 26, 2024)

Today, Google announced a $3.3 billion investment in South Carolina to expand its cloud and data center infrastructure.

Google also broke ground on two new data center campuses in Dorchester County, representing a $2 billion investment. 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. Remaining funding will support growing their existing presence in South Carolina, including their Berkeley County campus.

“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.”

The new facilities, located in the Pine Hill Business Campus in Ridgeville and Winding Woods Commerce Park in St. George, will support growing demand for the company’s cloud services and artificial intelligence (AI).

“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.”

“We welcome Google’s historic investment in Dorchester County and the transformative economic opportunities it will bring,” said Dorchester County Council Chair Todd Friddle. “This project will have a lasting positive impact on our County, providing new jobs, elevating our schools, and enhancing the quality of life for our residents. Google’s proven track record of empowering local workforces and strengthening communities, including right here in the Lowcountry, makes them an invaluable partner for our region, and we are excited to work with them to build a brighter future for Dorchester County together.”

Today’s announcements will create 200 new jobs in Dorchester County and approximately 1,200 long-term construction jobs.

In addition to the new local investment, the company also announced new support for energy affordability programs and a local watershed health improvement project. Google will be providing $1.6 million in new funding to expand the reach and impact of an initiative designed to help fund critical pre-weatherization and energy efficiency improvements for low- and moderate-income (LMI) households in South Carolina.

“Google has been a tremendous partner for Berkeley Electric Cooperative for years now – not only driving economic activity for our community, but also helping to lower costs for our members,” said Mike Fuller, CEO, Berkeley Electric, “Google’s data centers positively transform our local energy landscape, and we are excited to continue growing with them in the years to come.”

Additionally, 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. Google will be contributing $600,000 to support The Nature Conservancy’s work in the Cooper River Watershed in an effort to help decrease evapotranspiration and retain water. Google has also contributed $250,000 to the Coastal Community Foundation’s Lowcountry Disaster Relief Fund.

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