Google is breaking ground on two new data centers in Ohio, one in Columbus and one in Lancaster, to help power the tech giant’s artificial intelligence innovation for products like Google Maps and Gmail. Google has yet to disclose the exact timeline of when these centers will be up and running, but the ballpark figure given was between 18 and 24 months. With one data center in New Albany already open, the construction of these new centers not only brings the company’s investment into the state up to $2 billion, it effectively bolsters central Ohio as a data center hub.
The technology sector appears to be eyeing Ohio as a burgeoning market, and a recent report from CBRE points to the region’s abundant water and land resources, minimal danger of natural disasters, and strong tax incentives as reasons why. Geographically speaking, Columbus is positioned in the middle of data center markets that have already experienced significant growth, including Northern Virginia, Chicago, and Atlanta. In the meantime, over 50 percent of Americans reside within 750 miles of Columbus, which means that tech companies that decide to build in Columbus are within reach of a huge swath of potential employees and customers.