Google to construct new Tennessee data centre as part of $2.5bn initiative

Google has revealed that it will be both expanding and creating a range of new across 14 American states as part of a new country-wide investment plan.

At the groundbreaking of the company’s new Clarksville, Tennessee data centre, Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the firm would be committing $2.5bn to the construction and expansion of five data centres across Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia and Oklahoma.

See also:

• Can construction connect more with technology?

• Accenture: Digital technologies could unlock £89bn for UK construction industry

• Australia’s construction industry set for $35bn renovation boom

“People often discuss “the cloud” as if it’s built out of air. But it’s actually made up of buildings, machinery, and people who construct and manage it all,” Pichai said. “Today we employ an estimated 1,900 people directly on our data centre campuses. We’ve created thousands of construction jobs—both for our data centres themselves, and for renewable energy generation. “

In addition to its commitment to data centre expansion, the firm also revealed that it would be investing in new or expanded offices across nine states, creating a range of new jobs across a variety of sectors, from engineering to sales.

“The launch of Google’s data centre in Clarksville is great news for Montgomery County,” said Tennesse Senator, Bob Corker. “These high-quality jobs will benefit families in a real way, and I applaud Google's mission to improve education and advance workforce development for Americans.”

The announcement comes shortly after the launch of the “Grow with Google” initiative, aimed at helping Americans learn and develop the skills needed to get a job or grow their businesses.