Area Development
Google will invest an additional $600 million in its Lenoir, North Carolina, data center site. The announcement brings Google’s total investment to more than $1.2 billion. The data center in Caldwell County houses computer systems and associated components that support Google search, Gmail, Google+ and YouTube.

The company first announced plans for a North Carolina data center in 2007 and made an initial investment of $600 million to get the center up and running. In November 2010, Google announced plans to construct a second building at the site, and it is now serving traffic.

“It is great news for Caldwell County and our state that Google has decided to expand its operations in western North Carolina,” said Gov. Pat McCrory. “They are a valuable economic resource in the area and a great example of a company that prioritizes environmental stewardship.”

As demand for Google’s services increases, capacity must grow to meet this demand. “North Carolina and the Lenoir community are great places in which to work and grow,” said Data Center Operations Manager Enoch Moeller. “When Google builds a data center, it chooses a site large enough to accommodate growth and a site where we want to establish a long-term commitment to the local community. We are proud to be a part of the City of Lenoir and Caldwell County community where our employees live, work and play.”

“As more of the world moves online, demand for Google’s services continues to grow – and we want our renewable energy options to grow with it,” said Gary Demasi, Director of Google’s Global Infrastructure team. “We’re excited that Duke Energy is developing solutions that will provide options not only for Google but for other customers in North Carolina who want to green their energy supply.”

Paul Newton, Duke Energy state president for North Carolina, said, “Duke Energy is proud of the partnership we’ve had with Google since 2007, and we welcome today’s expansion announcement. Google has been a strong and responsible corporate citizen, and this new investment will be meaningful to Caldwell County and the surrounding region.The new renewable rate plan under development will offer an opportunity for companies like Google to expand their sustainability efforts and support renewable energy in North Carolina.”