Google is building Wyoming’s first data center. The company is investing $17 billion in the Laramie County project. A partnership with Tallgrass Energy, Black Hills Energy, American Electric Power (AEP), and Related Digital aims to get the project off the ground.

Data centers are making headlines, but they are nonetheless critical to modern infrastructure. The centers keep essential systems and networks online but require immense amounts of energy. Google believes it has a solution.

An Untraditional Way to Power Data Centers

A representational image of inside a modern data center; Photo: KM Stock/Shutterstock

Google’s new site will feature a 702-megawatt fuel cell setup built by American maker Bloom Energy. Instead of burning gas, these fuel cells convert natural gas into electricity through a chemical reaction.

Most of the carbon emissions will be caught and buried deep underground at Tallgrass’s nearby Eastern Wyoming Sequestration Hub. Additionally, this facility will use air cooling to protect local water supplies.

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As for Google’s energy footprint, the company stated, “We will pay for 100% of the power we use, and when we build data centers, we’ll cover the infrastructure needs directly driven by our growth.”

Partnering with the Cheyenne Community

The build is expected to bring hundreds of millions of dollars in local property taxes to Laramie County and School District 1. Google is also funding local K-12 classrooms, trade programs, and STEM grants.

Following meetings with more than 200 locals in downtown Cheyenne, the partners decided to start a Community Council to tackle growth questions directly.

“Building on Google’s 20-year track record of data center development, our promise is to show up today and tomorrow for Cowboy State residents,” Google stated. “We are excited to put down roots in Wyoming and look forward to working closely with the community for decades to come.”