(The Center Square) – Virginia’s data center growth is climbing again with $9 billion in new Google investment.
The company is building a new campus in Chesterfield County and expanding facilities in Loudoun and Prince William. Google said the investment will run through 2026 and will be focused on cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin called the expansion a powerful endorsement of Virginia’s role in the AI economy. “Investments like this not only expand Virginia’s cloud and AI infrastructure but also expand our efforts to build a future-ready workforce through initiatives like our AI Career Launch Pad,” Youngkin said in a statement.
Secretary of Commerce and Trade Juan Pablo Segura called the commitment a historic investment for students and the future of the commonwealth.
Google also tied the investment to education. Virginia-based college students can receive a year of free access to its AI Pro plan, training and job search tools. The University of Virginia, Brightpoint Community College and Northern Virginia Community College are part of the first group of schools in Google’s AI for Education Accelerator, giving students, faculty and staff free access to Google Career Certificates and AI courses.
Google will benefit from a Virginia tax break that spares data centers from sales taxes on expensive servers and software, as long as they hit required investment and hiring goals.
Alphabet and Google President Ruth Porat said the spending reflects the company’s focus on building AI infrastructure and skills. “With today’s announcement, Google is deepening our roots in Virginia, extending our investments across the state to help position Virginia—and America—for the opportunities technology can deliver,” Porat said.
As previously reported by The Center Square, Richmond became the fastest-growing data center market in the country earlier this year, adding 720 megawatts of colocation inventory in the first half of 2025, according to real estate firm Avison Young.
At the federal level, President Donald Trump signed an executive order in July to accelerate permitting for large-scale data center projects. The order defines qualifying projects as those adding more than 100 megawatts of new electric load or committing at least $500 million in capital expenditures. It directs agencies to expedite environmental reviews, open access to federal land and support construction of qualifying sites.
Virginia remains home to the world’s largest concentration of data centers. Google’s $9 billion commitment positions the commonwealth to expand that role even further.
