Jun 16, 2026 | Posted by Abdul-Rahman Oladimeji
Google will invest an additional $1.5 billion to expand its data center campus in Jackson County through 2027. The site, built on the former Widows Creek coal plant, has been operational since 2019. According to Baxtel, it currently includes two 135,000 sq ft (12,540 sqm) data center buildings, though the full long-term footprint has not been disclosed.
Google’s global head of energy and power, Amanda Peterson Corio, said the Jackson County site has a “unique backstory,” noting it was built on the former Widows Creek coal plant. She said existing electrical infrastructure from the retired site was repurposed to improve data center reliability and help add clean power to the grid.
"Building on the hundreds of full-time jobs the data center already supports and the billions of economic impact it has driven since 2018, we’ll also train more than 130,000 Alabamians in digital skills in collaboration with 150+ organizations."
Google said it will cover energy needs for its Jackson County data center expansion, including related infrastructure costs. The company has secured 300MW of new generation capacity in the Tennessee Valley region, including a 50MW nuclear partnership with Kairos Power and the Tennessee Valley Authority. It also launched a $2 million Energy Impact Fund for local energy efficiency programs in Jackson County.
"Sustainable growth is only possible when a community thrives alongside it," said Thomas Gamble, Jackson County site lead, Google. "Our continued expansion in Alabama is driven by a long-term vision of shared success. By investing heavily in the students, small businesses, and local organizations that form the backbone of Jackson County, Google aims to build a foundation of opportunity that will benefit the region long after construction is complete."
