Tech giant to invest $600 million in eighth US data center
NASHVILLE — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd along with Google officials today announced the company has acquired the former Hemlock Semiconductor site in Clarksville, which it will work to transform into a data center.
Google plans to invest $600 million in the project – the company’s eighth U.S. data center and 15th globally – and create 70 new jobs.
“We are grateful for Google’s significant investment in Tennessee and the new jobs that will be created in Montgomery County,” Haslam said. “This is one of the world’s most well-known brands, so it says a lot for our state that it will soon be home to Google’s eighth U.S. data center. We welcome Google to Tennessee and look forward to building a strong partnership with the company in the years to come.”
“The data processing, hosting and related services industry has grown significantly in Tennessee. Clarksville, in particular, has seen a considerable surge with employment increasing by 305 percent in less than five years,” Boyd said. “To have a company like Google choose our state for its newest data center means a great deal as it will not only add to Clarksville’s business landscape, but it will also provide new opportunities for our workforce. Thanks, Google, for joining Team Tennessee.”
“This site comes with the benefits of existing infrastructure, which we plan to reuse and recycle – for example, many of the office buildings will be used for Googlers when the data center is operational,” said Google Vice President for Data Center Operations, Joe Kava. “At the same time, we have room to innovate and grow both as a data center and as a member of the Montgomery County community. We’re excited about the opportunity to experiment with new kinds of technology and design an impressive facility – we can’t wait!”
The roughly 1,300 acre site will be powered 100 percent by renewable energy thanks to an arrangement with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Through the agreement, Google will be able to scout new renewable energy projects and work with TVA to bring the power onto the electrical grid.
“Collaboration is vital to economic development. Today we recognize a notable result of the ongoing collaboration among state and local government, the business community and TVA to attract good jobs and sustainable investments to our region,” TVA President and CEO Bill Johnson said.
City and county officials will begin working with Google to launch a formal community grants program that would support science and technology education, carbon reduction and access to the Internet in the area.
“We are pleased to be welcoming Google to Montgomery County,” Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett said. “Google is a household name, with a history of being great community partners. We not only look forward to working with them, but to also watching them grow their data center operations in our area.”
“From a regional perspective, this is a very exciting announcement,” added Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan. “As we’ve discussed for some time, growth in Middle Tennessee is expected to continue at an exponential rate. Google’s investment in Clarksville-Montgomery County is proof that the technology industry is a significant part of that growth. I am very excited about Clarksville’s role in bringing new investment, new jobs and new technology to the area.”
Google currently has data centers in 14 locations on four continents, including Iowa, Georgia, Singapore and Belgium, and recently announced plans to develop a site in Alabama.
Clarksville and Montgomery County are represented by Sen. Mark Green (R – Clarksville), Rep. Curtis Johnson (R – Clarksville), Rep. Joe Pitts (D – Clarksville) and Rep. Jay Reedy (R – Erin) in the Tennessee General Assembly.
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
Tennessee was named 2014 and 2013 “State of the Year” for economic development by Business Facilities magazine. The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies which help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. The department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: tnecd.com. Follow us on Twitter: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.
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