Google Invests $17 Billion in Wyoming Data Center

Google is investing $17 billion to construct its first data center in Laramie County, Wyoming, on a 716-acre site approximately 8 miles south of Cheyenne. The company acquired the location from AI infrastructure firm Crusoe, which managed the pre-development phase, including site selection and government approvals. While Crusoe has exited this specific project, it continues to develop a separate Google campus in Armstrong.

To mitigate political backlash and local concerns, Google pledged to pay for 100% of the facility's power and utilize air-cooling to avoid excessive water usage. Power will be supplied via gas-fired generation from Tallgrass Energy and Black Hills Energy, alongside a 702-megawatt natural gas fuel cell plant developed by American Electric Power using Bloom Energy units. This plant operates under a 20-year take-or-pay contract and includes plans to sequester emissions underground.

Internal site plans, referred to as Project Tembo, suggest a total capacity of 2.7 gigawatts with completion by 2031, though Google's official announcement did not disclose a timeline or campus size. The investment proceeds despite a University of Wyoming poll showing only 30% of residents support the construction of more large AI data centers.