Google has had a presence in Texas since 2007—with Dallas-Fort Worth ribbon cuttings including an office in Addison and a large data center in Midlothian. Last Thursday, Google’s DFW ground game gained even more traction with the announcement of a planned $600 million investment in a new Red Oak data center, its second in the state.

Google said it plans to invest $330 million this year alone on its Texas expansion, with at least $600 million to be invested over multiple years to build out the new data center site in Red Oak. Google has already invested $1.1 billion in the state, the company noted.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and U.S. Rep. Jake Ellzey were on hand for the announcement ceremony, which was held at the Dallas College Workforce Development Training Center. 

John Cornyn speaks at Google event announcing Red Oak data center. [Photo: Google]

“Texas continues to lead the nation in job growth and workforce development, including in the tech sector,” Cornyn said in a statement. “Google’s expanded data center in Midlothian and the new one in Red Oak will build on those successes, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact these investments will have in North Texas and beyond.”

Google said the new Red Oak data center will complement its existing Midlothian data center and the Dallas cloud region. It will play a critical role in supporting the company’s AI innovations and growing Google Cloud business. “Google’s data centers help power popular digital services—like Google Cloud, Workspace (which includes Gmail, Docs, Sheets and more), Search and Maps—for people and organizations worldwide,” the company said.

Expected to create ‘nearly 1,200 construction jobs’

Left to right: Google’s Cris Turner with
Stephen Barber, Data Center Services Manager at Google; John Cornyn, US Senator from Texas;
and Jake Ellzey, Congressman TX-06. [Photo: Google]

Ellzey said that Texas has quickly become “the go-to state for businesses to invest in,” and spoke of the jobs the Red Oak project will bring to the region.

“Texans are some of the hardest working folks in our nation, and I know the expansion will bring good, well-paying jobs to our communities,” Ellzey said in a statement. “Google has been a trusted partner in Midlothian and Red Oak, and this expansion will further that partnership.”

Google said the new Red Oak data center is expected to create “nearly 1,200 construction jobs” as well as 30 new full-time operational jobs once the center is up and running.

“We’re proud to say that Red Oak will be the home of the newest Google data center here in Texas,” Red Oak Mayor Mark Stanfill said. “Texas is well on its way to becoming a leading hub for technology, and the city of Red Oak is proud to be a part of the technological advancements that will surely stem from this new data center.”

Keeping the cloud local

Cris Turner, VP, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Knowledge & Information Products at Google. [Photo: Google]

Last year, Google deepened its footprint in the central U.S. with the launch of a new cloud region in Dallas. With the June 2022 addition, Dallas became Google’s second cloud hub in the central U.S., pushing its North American count to eleven and global tally to 34.

Google aims to help keep the cloud local. The localization of cloud services like its Dallas Cloud Region can improve speed and reliability for conventional online businesses and companies using AI and machine learning applications that demand rapid data access and processing, the company said.

“Google’s data centers provide the infrastructure for digital services and AI innovations for people around the world,” Cris Turner, VP of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Knowledge & Information Products at Google, said in a statement. “As a proud Texan, I’m thrilled that Google calls Texas home. Our continued investment in the state is a testament to the resources and talent found in Midlothian, Red Oak, and beyond.” 

“Collaborating with Google on this next-level project is yet another example of our mission in action,” added Dallas College Chancellor Dr. Justin Lonon. “Working together, we have a real opportunity to guide our students toward a path to high-wage, life-changing careers in a field that will continue to play a pivotal role in society’s evolution. Dallas College shares Google’s commitment and enthusiasm for strengthening the education pipeline that will lead to a strong tech workforce in North Texas.”

Google says its data centers are “some of the most efficient in the world.” The company has set a 2030 goal to run its business “on carbon-free energy, every hour of every day, in all of its data centers and campuses worldwide.” Over the past year, Google has signed power purchase agreements with Ørsted and SB Energy to add new wind and solar power to the electricity grid and help bring additional clean energy jobs to Texas. 

According to Google, last year it helped provide $46.48 billion of economic activity “for tens of thousands of Texas businesses, publishers, nonprofits, creators and developers, creating economic opportunities across the state.”

$150K grant for Red Oak School District

At the event, Google also announced a $150,000 grant to the Red Oak School District, building on the company’s longstanding commitment to expanding STEM education in Texas. Last year, Google announced a partnership with the University of Texas and Texas State University Systems to offer Google Career Certificates. Potentially reaching tens of thousands of students across the state, the program offers access to training courses that will help students develop skills required in high-demand fields including  Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing & E-commerce, IT Support, Project Management, and UX Design. 

New Google site adds to a growing data center boom in North Texas

Google’s new Red Oak facility adds to a growing data center boom in North Texas.

Just two weeks ago, Dallas-based data center developer and operator CyrusOne announced a new AI workload-specific data center solution called Intelliscale, which it developed specifically to address the rapidly growing needs of AI applications and services.

In early August, Dallas-based DataBank, a leading provider of enterprise-class colocation, connectivity, and managed services, announced the completion of seven data center expansions in Dallas, Las Vegas, San Diego, Irvine, and Kansas City—as well as two in Atlanta.

In July, CoreWeave, a specialized cloud provider of large-scale GPU-accelerated workloads, announced a new $1.6 billion data center facility in Plano it said will be fully operational by December 31.

Dallas-based Compass Datacenters and Schneider Electric, a global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, announced in July that they’re partnering to build a state-of-the-art integration facility in Red Oak to support the increasing demand for prefabricated modular data centers.

The local data center boom has been ongoing for the last couple of years. In January 2022, a market flash from Dallas-based commercial real estate giant CBRE pointed to a strong local sector finish for Q4 2021, with the Dallas-Fort Worth data center market “recording the most active quarter of leasing of all time.”

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