Google in Clarksville will be most advanced data center worldwide – The Leaf-Chronicle
With tall construction cranes already standing in the backdrop, Google formally broke ground, on a blustery, chilly and damp Friday afternoon, on its planned $600 million data center near Clarksville.
Never mind the non-Chamber of Commerce weather. For many in the groundbreaking crowd of close to 200, including Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan, the day was “sunny and bright” given the weight of the transformative and historic moment off Solar Way.
After ceremonies under a large enclosed tent, Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai of California, in his first visit to Tennessee, told The Leaf-Chronicle in a brief exclusive interview that the massive data center will have advanced, 60-megawatt service capacity.
It’s for certain, according to Pichai, and Enoch Moeller, Google’s hardware operations site manager, that the Clarksville data center now under construction — the 15th worldwide — will be the most advanced yet in the expanding global Google network.
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“It will obviously be our newest and therefore our most advanced data center facility,” Pichai said. “With each data center that we bring online, we’ve operated with the goal of being able to do increasingly more, and with this data center our goal is to bring the very latest in technology to Clarksville, and Tennessee,” Pichai said.
Moeller added that Google is constantly updating designs. There is no cookie-cutter methodology to Google’s expanding network.
Pichai said the Clarksville site selection had very much to do with the “quality of the people here, including a trained Fort Campbell veteran pool, plus access to clean energy, and good partnerships” at all levels of government and the private sector.
In addition to Tennessee, Google is putting increased emphasis on data center development throughout the southeastern U.S. as part of a combined $2.5 billion build-up.
That investment encompasses additional data centers in Alabama, Oregon, Virginia and Oklahoma, as well as Tennessee.
Pichai said about 18,000 Tennessee businesses and nonprofits use Google search tools daily.
“In addition to these five data centers, we’re investing in new or expanded offices in nine states: California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington,” Pichai said.
“We want to make sure the transition to technology happens geographically, throughout the United States,” he said, adding he looks forward to returning to Clarksville-Montgomery County when its new data center is built and goes online, likely in the first half of 2019.
“Our goal is to ensure that information serves everyone, not just a few. To do this, we want to hire people to develop our products in the widest possible range of locations, around the world and throughout the United States,” Pichai said.
Google first booted up in 2000. Now it has offices and data centers in 21 states. “This year we plan on hiring thousands more people. To support that growth, today we’re announcing new or expanded offices and data centers in 14 states across the country,” he said.
The Clarksville data center will employ about 1,000 people in construction and 70 in high-tech permanent positions.
Google acquired the site formerly owned by Dow Corning and Hemlock Semiconductor in 2015.
The site had symbolized disaster for Clarksville in 2013-14 after $1.2 billion Hemlock Semiconductor abandoned its plans for the community before its anticipated production launch, but things quickly turned celebratory when Google said it wanted a portion of the massive property.
The company has already said it plans to partner with local schools, Austin Peay State University and Fort Campbell.
U.S. Sen. Bob Corker
“Google can invest anywhere in the world and chose Tennessee, which says a lot about our state.
“From the business-friendly environment created at the state and local levels, to the access to low-cost, reliable energy through (the Tennessee Valley Authority), to the pro-growth tax reform legislation being implemented on the federal level, the Volunteer State is firing on all cylinders, and the beneficiaries are the people who will fill the jobs announced today.
“I thank Google for its investment in our state and our people, and I look forward to seeing this partnership grow in the years ahead.”
Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan
“As we welcome Google to our community, we say ‘Thank you for choosing Clarksville,’ and we look forward to a bright future together.
“Google’s $600 million investment is a huge vote of confidence in our community. When I look at this vast array of buildings and technology, I see the good people of Clarksville. I see the individual workers who will be proud to have a job at Google. I see their families and their children, growing strong and proud in a community bolstered by this commitment by Google.”
Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett
“As community leaders we are always looking for that win, that shot in the arm that energizes and creates enthusiasm in our community. Today, we just got a shot in both arms!
“We are extremely grateful to be able to state that Google is now part of our community. This is a big win for Montgomery County.”
Reach Business Editor Jimmy Settle at 931-245-0247 and on Twitter @settle_leaf.
