Google announced it will invest an additional $1.7 billion in the construction of its three datacenter campuses in Central Ohio.
While at its New Albany datacenter on Aug. 8, Google officials also announced its commitment to spending a total of $3.7 billion in central Ohio.
The additional $1.7 billion will be used to complete the Columbus and Lancaster datacenters and expand the New Albany facility, according to Mark Isakowitz, Google Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy.
According to Columbus Business First, Isakowitz did not have a specific breakdown of how much money will be put into each location. The investment will support all three sites as the company expands its artificial intelligence presence in Ohio.
At this time it is still unknown how many jobs these projects will create, but Sheet Metal 24 members will play a crucial role on these projects.
The Columbus Dispatch reported that Isakowtiz said the Columbus datacenter is now operational and the Lancaster site will open by the end of the year.
“Our continued investment in Ohio is a testament to not only the business environment but the strong community we’re building. Ohio is home,” he added.
Isakowitz said the company’s investment in technical infrastructure in Ohio plays a crucial role in supporting the company’s AI innovations and growing Google Cloud business.
“Nearly every industry relies on computing power enabled by data centers — including healthcare, the public sector, manufacturing, financial services and more as they grow and adapt to the digital world,” he said in the prepared statement. “Our continued investment in Ohio is a testament to not only the business environment but the strong community we’re building.”
Google opened a cloud region in Columbus last year to meet what it described as a growing demand from businesses and public sector organizations in the Midwest and across North America, according to Columbus Business First.
Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted spoke at Google’s announcement and said no tax credits or other public incentives were offered to Google for the datacenter expansion.
Husted also pointed out that the investments will continue to generate good jobs for union construction workers, including Sheet Metal Workers 24 members.