Google Planning Two Huge S.C. Facilities?

Google is apparently planning not one but TWO enormous data centers in South Carolina. That's in addition to the $600 million Google facility in Lenoir, North Carolina that was announced last week. An LLC associated with Google has submitted proposals for a massive data center on a 466-acre piece of land in Blythewood, South Carolina (near Columbia), with an estimated project cost of at least $200 million and perhaps as much as $800 million.

Google recently confirmed that it has purchased 520 acres in Goose Creek on the South Carolina coast for a $750 million data center project. PBS columnist Robert X. Cringley, who lives in South Carolina, says his sources say the two huge sites in the state are not an either-or scenario. According to Cringley, Google intends to build them both, as well as another facility just across the Georgia State line. An excerpt:

So let's take a look at the capital expenditures. Price tags for these projects can easily be inflated by overenthusiastic local reports, but plans submitted by Google or related entities indicate a total investment of at least $1.55 billion and perhaps as much as $2.15 billion (with the wide Blythewood range being the difference). Stay tuned, as we'll continue to track all three of these projects. For additional coverage and commentary, see items by Marketwatch and Greg Linden.