COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — Google announced Tuesday it is investing an additional $350 million this year to expand its Council Bluffs data center.
The money is on top of the $5 billion Google has already invested in the area since it broke ground about two decades ago, according to Allie Hopkins, Google’s head of data centers for Iowa and Nebraska.
The expansion will support artificial intelligence innovation and the services that people use every day, she said.
The announcement was made at a press conference inside the center, located at 10410 Bunge Ave. It was attended by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.
In a news release, Google indicated a Nebraska announcement would be coming soon after this one. Asked for details, Hopkins declined to say what would be announced.
Data centers are huge digital warehouses where information is stored and where online interactions and transactions take place. They require reams of capacity for computer servers and data storage.
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Overall, global internet usage has grown 20-fold since 2010. And lifestyle changes since the pandemic, with the rise of working from home and more online shopping, have only helped to further drive the demand for data centers. The rise of artificial intelligence has become another recent driver.
Google officials Tuesday announced a $350 million expansion of the company's Council Bluffs data center.
According to Dgtl Infra, the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area is home to at least 20 data centers from a dozen different providers.
Data centers gobble up incredible amounts of power — for big ones, as much as a small city. And Omaha’s data center growth is leading what’s believed to be the largest spike in demand for electricity in the Omaha Public Power District’s 77-year history.
To meet that growth, Omaha’s public customer-owned electric utility is now looking to spend some $2 billion to nearly double its generating capacity over the next decade.
