Google Columbia County data center, in order
What happened with this project, oldest first: the stages it reached, what the county and its cities decided, and every dated step on the record. Each entry links its source.
1 event, August 31, 2026 to August 31, 2026. Also on the record, under the month each belongs to: 14 statements, 6 figures from other sources and 6 lines that are not events of their own. The facts, newest first: the record; the place: Georgia.
A plain date is the day it happened, as the source states it, or as the line's own sentence states it ("voted on July 6"), which is where the line sits even when it was filed later. "Reported" and a date is the day a source published a line that carries no date of its own. Those lines, and lines that describe rather than report an act, sit under their month rather than on the timeline, with what was said and the figures other sources gave. Every timeline on the site reads its lines by this one rule. How dates are read.
Stages
2026 1 event
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
being built
Economic Development Authority approved memorandum of understanding for Google Data Center in Columbia County, Georgia. [7]
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Also in August 2026: 2 statements and 4 lines that are not events of their own
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Columbia County (county)
Economic Development Authority of Columbia County is working with Google on a Memorandum of Understanding for a data center partnership yahoo.com
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Scott Johnson, Columbia County Manager
Scott Johnson, Columbia County Manager, said the goal is to find innovative ways to grow the economy, protect residents, and reduce the burden of property taxes through the partnership WJBF national outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Doug Duncan, Columbia County Chairman
Doug Duncan, Columbia County Chairman, said the county is building a partnership that has the potential to generate billions of dollars in revenue for Columbia County and provide meaningful property tax relief for homeowners WJBF national outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Agreement mandates 65 decibel noise ceiling and 500 foot buffer zone from residential areas. [7]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
First payments expected late 2026 or early 2027 depending on construction milestones. [7]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Two major sites: White Oak and Pumpkin Center area in Columbia County. [7]
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Also in September 2026: 12 statements, 6 figures from other sources and 2 lines that are not events of their own
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Jen Ryan, Google representative
Jen Ryan stated that Google worked with Columbia County leadership to exceed decibel standards and buffers for the data center. AOL.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Jen Ryan, Google representative
Google representative Jen Ryan spoke at the Future Forward Summit about the Google data center coming to Columbia County, discussing standards for noise, lighting, and water usage. AOL.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Jen Ryan, Google representative
Jen Ryan said data centers employ many people, citing hundreds of employees at the Douglas County data center on any given day. Yahoo national outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Doug Duncan, Columbia County Commissioner
Columbia County Commissioner Doug Duncan stated that Google was an opponent during negotiations but understood the county's vision. AOL.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Jen Ryan, Google representative
Jen Ryan stated that data centers employ many people, referencing the Douglas County data center where hundreds of employees work on any given day. AOL.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Jen Ryan, Google representative
Jen Ryan said the data center will follow certain standards when it comes to noise, lighting, and water usage. Yahoo national outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Jen Ryan, Google representative
Google representative Jen Ryan spoke at the Future Forward Summit on September 10, 2026 about the Google data center coming to Columbia County. Yahoo national outlet
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(the day the page was read; it gives no date of its own)
Entry
Google lists Google Columbia County data center at Columbia County, Georgia on its own page of data center locations, read September 14, 2026. [1]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Georgia Power wants to upgrade two reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta and two at Plant Hatch west of Savannah to put roughly 100 megawatts total of emission free electricity on the power grid. [4]
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Georgia Power
Google agreed to pay a premium for new electricity from planned upgrades as part of a new program Georgia Power submitted to state regulators on Monday. ajc.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Georgia Power
Georgia Power stated the plan would use federal and state tax credits and a pending loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy to offset some upgrade costs. The Augusta Chronicle local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Georgia Power
Google agreed to subscribe to a new tariff and receive zero emission credits in exchange for supporting the nuclear upgrades. The Augusta Chronicle local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Dr. Christopher Kadlec, Georgia Southern University applied cyber education director
Dr. Christopher Kadlec warned that emergency backup power systems present environmental considerations, particularly diesel powered generators during severe weather in south Georgia. WRDW local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Dr. Christopher Kadlec, Georgia Southern University applied cyber education director
Dr. Christopher Kadlec, Georgia Southern University applied cyber education director, explained that data centers are attracted to Georgia because of infrastructure, power, and Plant Vogtle nuclear generation. WRDW local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · WFXG FOX54
17,000,000,000 USD: Google's commitment to the project represents at least $17 billion in private investment. WFXG FOX54 local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · WFXG FOX54
1,600 jobs, households, students: The study projects the development could lead to roughly 1,600 new jobs, 472 new local households and 307 additional students in the Columbia County School System. WFXG FOX54 local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · WFXG FOX54
4,000,000,000 USD: A study projects Google's data center campus could generate up to $4 billion in economic impact over 35 years. WFXG FOX54 local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · WRDW
4,000,000,000 USD: A study projects the Google data center campus could generate $4 billion over 35 years for Columbia County. WRDW local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · WRDW
1,600 jobs, households, students: The study projects the project could create 1,600 new jobs, 472 new local households and 307 new students in the Columbia County School System. WRDW local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · WRDW
22,000 USD: The land currently generates $22,000 a year in taxes for the county and schools. The county's projected tax revenue from the site is $12 billion. WRDW local outlet
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On the timeline: a stage change; an entry that reports an act on the day the source or its own sentence gives; and a decision, a published scorecard event on a row at or under the record's county, that reports an act. Under the months: a statement that names this record, a figure another source gave about it, matched by place and developer, an entry dated only by the day its source was published, and an entry or a decision that describes rather than reports an act. Each is on the record in its own right and keeps its own link.
For researchers
- Slug
- google-columbia-county-data-center-ga
- Status value
- under_construction
- Events on the timeline
- 1
- Under the months
- 26
- Stage changes
- 1
- Decisions
- 1
- Statements
- 14
- Figures
- 6
- Entries and decisions under the months
- 6