Google commits $9 billion to SC data centers, workforce development. What that means for new jobs
Google is investing $9 billion in the Palmetto State to boost its data centers and train electricians to keep them running.
Announced Oct. 13, the tech giant’s two-year investment is intended to support growing Cloud and artificial intelligence services and expand Google’s workforce.
This investment will fund the growth of Google’s Berkeley County campus, which first opened in 2008, and support construction of two new data center campuses in Dorchester County, which broke ground in 2024.
Once completed, the data centers will bolster Google Cloud in the South Carolina region. The facilities in the Lowcountry are part of Google’s global network of 42 cloud regions.
How the investment supports a growing workforce
Beyond infrastructure, part of the $9 billion investment is earmarked for workforce development.
Google is partnering with the national Electrical Training Alliance to enhance the training pipeline for electrical workers in the region and integrate AI.
The program is expected to train more than 160 apprentices and increase the number of new electricians in South Carolina by nearly 150% by 2030. The idea is to develop the labor force needed to build new energy infrastructure.
In addition, this partnership is intended to strengthen workforce development in the Lowcountry through the company’s AI Opportunity Fund, a $75 million initiative designed to help Americans learn essential AI skills.
This is intended to help “equip South Carolinians with the tools to use AI effectively, boost productivity and stay competitive,” Google said.
The roughly 900 employees at the Berkeley County data center, “keep search, Gmail, YouTube and many other Google applications operational, enabling Google to provide fast and reliable services around the clock to millions of people,” the company said.
Impact of data centers
Data centers are known for using a lot of power. Goldman Sachs forecasts that global power demand from the facilities will increase by 165% between 2023 and 2030.
Data centers typically use water as a way to cool down hot, busy servers. This creates environmental concerns; the Environmental and Energy Study Institute said that a large data center can consume up to 5 million gallons of water per day and 1.8 billion per year, equivalent to a community of 10,000 to 50,000 people.
For Google’s entire data center fleet, 86% of freshwater withdrawals come from sources with low or medium risk of water depletion, the company said. Google added that they are focused on sustainability and building the world’s most energy-efficient computing infrastructure.
The company’s data centers are “supported by responsible water use practices,” and Google said it is committed to minimizing waste.
History of Google in SC
Since breaking ground on its first South Carolina data center in Berkeley County in 2007, Google has invested more than $4.5 billion in the state, including projects like subsea cables in Horry County.
The latest investment announcement points to Google’s deepening roots in the Lowcountry and “strengthening the state’s role as a critical hub for American infrastructure.”
This story was originally published October 22, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
