Data Center Census

Botetourt County, VA

Google Botetourt County Data Center Campus

ApprovedCounty issued grading plans and land disturbance permit in August 2026; first building targeted for 2028
  1. Rumored
  2. Proposed
  3. Approved
  4. Under construction
  5. Operating

Google plans a three-building data center campus on a 312-acre parcel inside the Botetourt Center at Greenfield, the only area zoned for a data center in the County. The campus will have a peak electricity demand of approximately 300 megawatts, and Google is initially allowed to use no more than 2 million gallons of water per day, though the first of three buildings will use air-cooling technology. The County issued the grading plans and land disturbance permit in August 2026, and the first data center structure is expected to be completed during calendar year 2028.

Key facts

Size & schedule

Planned capacity300 MW [9]
approximate peak electricity demand
Source excerpt
“Google will have a peak electricity demand of approximately 300 megawatts, a figure that has not previously been made public.”
Site size312 acres [1]
Source excerpt
“June 24, the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors approved supporting the performance agreement which publicly announced Google's purchase of a 312-acre parcel of land.”
Floor area300,000 sq ft [6]
about 300,000 square feet per building; three buildings proposed
Source excerpt
“Each of the three proposed data center buildings will cover about 300,000 square feet, along with three substations, an office building, access roads, utilities, parking areas and stormwater management facilities”
Buildings3 [3]
Source excerpt
“The incremental tax base for each of the three data centers in this campus is expected to yield at least $10 million in annual local taxation.”
Target completioncalendar year 2028 (first data center structure) [1]
Source excerpt
“The first Data Center structure is expected to be completed and fit for use and during calendar year 2028.”

Power

UtilityAppalachian Power [2]
Source excerpt
“Appalachian Power evaluated the electric system well in advance to ensure it could safely and reliably support a data center of this magnitude in Botetourt County.”
Power supplyPower purchase agreement for the full output (79.3 MW) of the Rocky Forge Wind project [3]
Source excerpt
“the full output (79.3 megawatts) of the Rocky Forge Wind project, Virginia's first utility-scale wind facility.”

Water

Water use2,000,000 gal/day [5]
initial cap; option to request up to 8 million gallons per day in the future
Source excerpt
“Google is initially allowed to use no more than 2 million gallons of water per day, with the option to request up to 8 million gallons per day in the future”
Water sourceWestern Virginia Water Authority (new infrastructure at Google's expense) [10]
Source excerpt
“with Google, will enable the Authority to develop new, efficient and sustainable water infrastructure solutions, solely at the company's expense”
Coolingair-cooling for the first of three buildings [5]
Source excerpt
“the first of three buildings will use air-cooling technology instead of water cooling”

Money & incentives

Payments / community benefits$4 million to support County initiatives over five years [3]
Source excerpt
“$4 million to support County initiatives over the next five years”

Local decisions & site

ZoningData centers permitted in the Research and Advanced Manufacturing (RAM) zoning district [1]
Source excerpt
“voted to amend the County's zoning ordinance to permit data centers in the Research and Advanced Manufacturing (RAM) zoning district”
Parcel / addressBotetourt Center at Greenfield business park [1]
Source excerpt
“Located inside the Botetourt Center at Greenfield, which is a designated business park and the only area zoned for a data center in the County.”

Figures are as stated by the cited source. Where sources disagree, each figure is shown.

Timeline

  1. Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission amend zoning ordinance to permit data centers in the RAM district [1]

  2. Board of Supervisors approves performance agreement; Google's purchase of a 312-acre parcel announced [1]

  3. Western Virginia Water Authority board authorizes agreements including one with Google [10]

  4. County receives first construction permit applications for grading [1]

  5. Google announces air-cooled technology for the first data center building [1]

  6. County issues grading plans and land disturbance permit [1]

  7. Appalachian Power files application with the State Corporation Commission for grid upgrades to serve the campus [9]

Issues raised

  • Residents have raised concerns about cost, tax revenue allocation and environmental impacts, including potential water use of millions of gallons per day [9]
  • By contracted water use, the site would be Google's eighth-largest data center complex worldwide [7]
  • Appalachian Power estimates $264 million in transmission and substation upgrades, which the county says will be paid for by Google [2][9]
  • Contractors said grading would start after Labor Day 2026; federal and state environmental permits remained under review by other agencies [8]
  • The Board of Supervisors and Economic Development Authority agreed to a 20-year performance agreement covering taxation of server equipment [4]

Sources

  1. Google Data Center
    Botetourt County, VA · government
  2. Google Data Center • Electricity
    Botetourt County, VA · government
  3. Google Advances Botetourt County Data Center Campus Project
    Botetourt County, VA · Mar 25, 2026 · government
  4. Google purchases land for potential data center in Botetourt County
    WDBJ7 · Jun 24, 2025 · news
  5. Google to use air-cooling at future Botetourt County data center
    WDBJ7 · Jul 23, 2026 · news
  6. Google says it will break ground on Botetourt data center campus in coming months
    Cardinal News · Mar 27, 2026 · news
  7. By water use, Google's Botetourt site would be its 8th largest data center complex in the world
    Cardinal News · Jul 9, 2026 · news
  8. Roanoke Valley Field Notes: Google gets permit to begin grading for Botetourt County data center
    Cardinal News · Sep 3, 2026 · news
  9. New details emerge about Botetourt grid upgrades for Google data center
    Cardinal News · Sep 16, 2026 · news
  10. Google Data Center in Botetourt Center at Greenfield
    Western Virginia Water Authority · Sep 10, 2025 · utility