Google Pine Island: 1.9GW Clean Energy Hyperscale Campus
Status: Announced / Pre-construction | Location: Pine Island (near Rochester, Minnesota)
Project Overview
The Google Pine Island Hyperscale Campus is a flagship infrastructure project officially unveiled on February 24, 2026. Located in southern Minnesota, just outside Rochester, this project represents a significant evolution in how hyperscalers interact with local energy grids. The development is not only a massive compute hub for Google Search, YouTube, and AI workloads but also a blueprint for the "Ratepayer Protection" model currently trending in the 2026 US data center market.
Google has partnered with Xcel Energy in a landmark Electric Service Agreement that adds a staggering 1,900 MW of new clean energy to the Minnesota grid. This includes 1,400 MW of wind, 200 MW of solar, and 300 MW of innovative iron-air battery storage from Form Energy. This "grid-balanced" approach ensures that Google pays for its own infrastructure, preventing utility price hikes for local residents—a critical move following recent legislative shifts in data center regulations.
Technically, the Pine Island campus is designed for the AI era. It features a zero-water cooling architecture, a response to community environmental concerns. By utilizing dry cooling, Google eliminates the massive water consumption typical of older facilities, though it necessitates a higher power-to-cooling ratio. The campus will occupy 88 acres of a larger 482-acre tech park, with construction managed by Ryan Companies. Once operational, it will serve as a primary node for Google’s generative AI inference and sovereign cloud services in the Midwest.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Project Name | Google Pine Island: 1.9GW Clean Energy Hyperscale Campus |
| Location | Pine Island (near Rochester, Minnesota) |
| Status | Announced / Pre-construction |
| Commissioning | 2027 (Phase 1) |
| Total IT Load | ~1.4 GW (Supported by Xcel Energy Agreement) |
| Total Capacity | 250,000 sq. ft. (Initial) / Up to 3M sq. ft. (Full Campus) |
| Tier Level | Tier III+ (AI-Ready Infrastructure) |
| Project Type | Hyperscale / AI Training & Inference Hub |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
|---|
| City Name | Pine Island |
| Population | Approximately 3,000 |
| Urban Agglomeration | ince Pine Island is a smaller city, it doesn't have a significant urban agglomeration. |
| City GDP | Data on the GDP for Pine Island is not readily available, but it's considered a rural community with an economy based on agriculture and small businesses. |
| Per Capita Income | Approximately $24,000 (estimated). |
| City Tier | ypically classified as a Tier 3 city (based on population size and economic activity). |
| Key Strengths | Strong agricultural base, with opportunities in farming, tourism, and proximity to larger metropolitan areas for economic growth. Let me know if you'd like more detailed informatio |
Companies Involved
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Developer / Operator | Google |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | Xcel Energy (Power) & Form Energy (Battery Storage) |
| Construction Contractor | Ryan Companies US Inc. |
| MEP Engineering | HDR / Jacobs (Estimated) |
| Network Connectivity | Google B4 Fiber Backbone / Tier-1 Carrier Neutral |
| Power Infrastructure | Direct HV Connection; 1,400MW Wind, 200MW Solar, 300MW Iron-Air Battery |
Technical Specifications
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Power Capacity | 1,900 MW (Grid-side support) |
| UPS Redundancy | 2N / N+1 Modular Redundancy |
| Cooling System | Zero-Water Dry Cooling Technology |
| Connectivity | High-density fiber entry with triple-path diversity |
| PUE Target | 1.10 |
| Energy Mix | 100% Carbon-Free Energy (Wind/Solar/Battery) |
Milestones
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Announcement | Google Corporate CapEx / Green Transition Tariff |
| Construction Start | Mid-2026 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | 2027 |
| Full Buildout | 2030 |
Investment Details
| Header | Details |
|---|
| Total Investment | $1 Billion+ (Facility) / Multi-billion (Energy Portfolio) |
| Funding | Google Corporate CapEx / Green Transition Tariff |