Groundbreaking announced for 2 Google data centers in Dorchester Co.

DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Google has set a date for when construction will begin on two new data centers in Dorchester County.

Gov. Henry McMaster, along with state, local, and Google officials, will attend the ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 9, at 1055 Research Center Drive in Ridgeville.

The tech giant said they will announce additional details for the center and new investments in South Carolina at the groundbreaking. Dorchester County Economic Development Office and Google made their partnership on the project public in February.

Nearby Berkeley County has been home to one of Google’s data centers for 15 years with the company’s investment giving back in different ways to the county.

The corporation dumped $500 million into the Berkeley County site in 2021 for expansion. During its time open, however, the site has come under fire for its water usage.

In 2019, the Coastal Conservation League asked what was formerly the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control to hold off on allowing increased water usage until further testing could be performed.

According to Google’s 2024 environmental report, the center consumed 763.4 million gallons of water in 2023 and withdrew 847.2. The water used to cool the system servers is pulled from an aquifer, and additional surface water is provided by Berkeley County Water and Sanitation.