Google Lancaster · Data center profile

Power

Power and the grid

137 MW energized

AEP Ohio grid (PJM)Operating

137 MW

Epoch AI's estimate of current load (IT versus facility basis not stated); Google says it buys all Ohio power on the competitive retail market under state-approved tariffs. No campus service contract or subscribed MW is public

Remaining build to full capacityNot documented

27 MW

Epoch AI's 164 MW full-build estimate less the 137 MW running

Energized nowProposed

Not used, not on record, or dropped

On-site generation None on record
no air permit for generation located; at most emergency engines under a permit-by-rule State agency · Oct. 2026

Getting on the grid

Who supplies what, what it costs, and what is still not public.

July 9, 2025
State tariff for new data centers
Ohio's utility commission adopts AEP Ohio's tariff: new large data centers pay for at least 85% of contracted capacity for up to 12 years. Utility regulator · Oct. 2026
Nov. 2025
Tariff appealed
Data center industry groups appeal the decision to the Ohio Supreme Court. see Lawsuits
June 4, 2026
Google testifies
Google tells state lawmakers it buys 100% of its Ohio power through the competitive market and announces a 100 MW PJM virtual power plant program. Company · Oct. 2026
Not set
Lancaster service terms
No campus-specific service agreement or subscribed MW is public; Google's Lancaster campus is not shown to be under the new tariff. see Permits

AEP Ohio has a project to rebuild about 15 miles of 138 kV line and upgrade two substations in Lancaster and Baltimore. Company · Oct. 2026

Permits

Permits checklist

2 granted · 2 checked, nothing on file

Approvals a campus like this normally needs (including an air permit for backup generators), and what we found.

✓
State data center sales tax exemption Granted
Ohio Tax Credit Authority · Dec. 10, 2018: statewide for Google's affiliate: 100% exemption, $8B committed, term up to 40 years; covers this campus State agency · June 2026
✓
Local property tax abatement Granted
City of Lancaster · 2024: Google confirms an agreement; terms not published; forgone taxes about $1.3M in 2024 (press) News report · July 2026
–
Checked, nothing on file: Air permit for generators, Electric service agreement

Risks

What could slow it down

Medium
Political backlash
A 2026 Senate campaign ad targets the Lancaster campus over higher electric bills and no local say. News report · Oct. 2026
Medium
Tax break scrutiny
Ohio's data center sales tax exemption is uncapped and worth an estimated $1.8B for Meta, Google and Amazon; lawmakers debated capping it. News report · Oct. 2026
Watch
Grid rules in flux
New tariff terms are under appeal, and Google's own Lancaster service terms are not public. see Lawsuits
Watch
Water use
Google reports 207 million gallons used in 2024 at this campus (press). News report · Dec. 2024

Lawsuits

1 case on record

Appeal filed Nov. 2025; pending Data center industry groups' appeal of AEP Ohio's data center tariff
Ohio Supreme Court Utility regulator · Oct. 2026
challenges the utility commission's order; not specific to Lancaster

Money

Money on record

$8B

investment committed in Google's statewide tax exemption

approved Dec. 10, 2018; estimated value $600M; not specific to Lancaster State agency · June 2026

$1.7B

Google's added Ohio investment announced Aug. 28, 2023

to complete Columbus and Lancaster and expand New Albany; no public incentives offered (press) News report · Oct. 2026

$2.3B

Google's 2024 Ohio investment

across Columbus, Lancaster and New Albany (press) News report · Oct. 2026

$1.3M

local property taxes forgone in 2024

Lancaster abatement (press) News report · July 2026

Timeline

What happened, and what is due

SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming

Dec. 10, 2018
Money Ohio approves Google's statewide data center sales tax exemption State agency · June 2026
April 30, 2021
Site Google reveals it bought 618 acres in Columbus and Lancaster for possible data centers News report · Oct. 2026
Aug. 2021
Construction Construction begins on the 120-acre Lancaster site, per the city's audit Local government · Oct. 2026
May 3, 2023
Site Google and Ohio officials announce Lancaster as a full data center campus News report · Oct. 2026
Aug. 28, 2023
Money Google adds $1.7B across its central Ohio campuses to complete Lancaster and Columbus News report · Oct. 2026
June 18, 2024
Money Google announces a further $2.3B for 2024 across the three Ohio campuses News report · Oct. 2026
July 9, 2025
Power Ohio's utility commission adopts a new AEP Ohio tariff for large data centers Utility regulator · Oct. 2026
March 12, 2026
Construction Epoch AI counts two Lancaster buildings operating at about 137 MW
June 4, 2026
Power Google tells Ohio lawmakers it buys its Ohio power on the competitive market Company · June 2026
Sept. 2026
Site Lancaster becomes an issue in the Ohio U.S. Senate race over electric bills News report · Oct. 2026

The buildings

Specs

2 buildings

operating, per Epoch AI's Mar. 2026 status

120 acres

Whiley Road site

Local government · Dec. 2021

15-year abatement program

Lancaster's tax program for new industrial buildings; Google's agreement is confirmed but its terms are not published

Local government · Oct. 2026

207M gallons

water used in 2024, Google-reported (press)

News report · Dec. 2024

Who is involved

Owners, partners and builders

Owner

Google LLC: owner and operator
Montauk Innovations LLC: Google subsidiary on the state tax exemption

Power and regulators

AEP Ohio (Ohio Power Company): utility
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio
PJM: grid operator

Local and state government

City of Lancaster: local tax abatement, water and sewer
Ohio Tax Credit Authority: approved the sales tax exemption

Still unknown

Open questions

Google's own MW figure for the campus.
Whether any building beyond the first two is planned or running.
Lancaster's tax abatement terms.
Campus electric service contract.

Where this comes from

105 records from 26 documents

Drawn from news reports, company statements, our own analysis, state agency records, public and commercial datasets, local government records and utility regulator dockets, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.

News report 13Company 4Analysis 4State agency 3Dataset 2Local government 2Utility regulator 1

Evidence

Every quote behind this page

Grade key: A = the primary record itself (permit, filing, exhibit) · B = a dated official statement · C = news reporting. Map distances are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap and carry no grade. Allegations in lawsuits are marked as such in the quotes.

Power (10)

County: Fairfield County
“Lancaster has been chosen by Google to build a new Google Data Center. The construction began in August 2021 in which Google purchased 120 acres to build their new facility.”
Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
Utility: AEP Ohio (Ohio Power Company)
“The West Lancaster - West Millersport Transmission Line Rebuild Project involves rebuilding about 15 miles of 138-kilovolt power lines and upgrading two substations in Lancaster and Baltimore”
Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Power plan: grid
“Google purchases 100% of our Ohio power through competitive retail markets and takes transmission service under PUCO-approved tariffs”
Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Google's Liz Schwab told the Ohio Joint Committee on Data Centers that Google purchases 100% of its Ohio power through competitive retail markets, takes transmission service under PUCO-approved tariffs, and announced a 1
“just this week, we announced a first-of-a-kind commercial structure to aggregate 100MW of distributed capacity in PJM each year into a Virtual Power Plant (VPP)”
Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Grid operator: PJM
“We actively participate in the PJM stakeholder process, including recent efforts surrounding the Reliability Backstop Auction”
Company · June 2026 · grade B
County code: 39045
“105 Whiley Road, Lancaster (Fairfield County) — 121.5 acres, 2 data centers (1 operational, 1 under construction) totaling 600,000 sq ft”
Dataset · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Fairfield County residents living next to the Lancaster data center describe impacts in 2026 coverage; Google said work is underway including installing a noise barrier.
“Fairfield County residents describe life living next to a data center”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Utility service: not stated
“PUCO DIS (dis.puc.state.oh.us) is a JS-gated docket system; no campus-specific subscribed MW, electric service agreement or special contract for the Lancaster campus was retrieved on 2026-10-18”
Analysis · Oct. 2026 · grade C
On-site generation: not stated
“No Ohio EPA air permit (PTI/PTIO) or public notice naming Google, Montauk Innovations or the Whiley Road facility was located in web-indexed Ohio EPA records on 2026-10-18”
Analysis · Oct. 2026 · grade C
AEP Ohio data center tariff approved by PUCO July 2025: 25 MW threshold for the rate class and payment for at least 85% of contracted capacity regardless of use
“The utility approved a data center tariff in July 2025, which set a clear 25MW threshold for rate class applicability, with customers who fall into this designation required to cover a take-or-pay structure”
News report · July 2025 · grade C

Money and contracts (34)

state data center sales tax exemption: approval approved December 10, 2018
“5 12/10/2018 Montauk Innovations (Google) $8,000,000,000 Statewide 100% up to 40 yrs (current: 20) $600,000,000 10/31/2018 10/30/2058”
State agency · June 2026 · grade A
state data center sales tax exemption: scope statewide - not limited to specific locations; covers the Lancaster campus
“These projects have a statewide Data Center Tax Exemption that is not limited to specific locations”
State agency · June 2026 · grade A
state data center sales tax exemption: exemption rate 100 %
“5 12/10/2018 Montauk Innovations (Google) $8,000,000,000 Statewide 100% up to 40 yrs (current: 20) $600,000,000 10/31/2018 10/30/2058”
State agency · June 2026 · grade A
state data center sales tax exemption: term up to 40 years (current term: 20 years)
“5 12/10/2018 Montauk Innovations (Google) $8,000,000,000 Statewide 100% up to 40 yrs (current: 20) $600,000,000 10/31/2018 10/30/2058”
State agency · June 2026 · grade A
state data center sales tax exemption: exemption window October 31, 2018 to October 30, 2058
“5 12/10/2018 Montauk Innovations (Google) $8,000,000,000 Statewide 100% up to 40 yrs (current: 20) $600,000,000 10/31/2018 10/30/2058”
State agency · June 2026 · grade A
state data center sales tax exemption: committed investment 8000000000 USD
“5 12/10/2018 Montauk Innovations (Google) $8,000,000,000 Statewide 100% up to 40 yrs (current: 20) $600,000,000 10/31/2018 10/30/2058”
State agency · June 2026 · grade A
state data center sales tax exemption: estimated value 600000000 USD
“Total estimated value of their tax exemption is based on $8 billion at 7.5% tax at the time of TCA approval”
State agency · June 2026 · grade A
state data center sales tax exemption: conditions term dependent on increased metrics and investments; exemption uncapped
“The term of the exemptions are dependent on increased metrics and investments”
State agency · June 2026 · grade A
state data center sales tax exemption: termination clawback finding FINDING: no termination, clawback or recapture clause is stated in any public document opened; the executed exemption agreement itself is not public - t
“Given the uncapped nature of the tax exemption, final numbers could be significantly higher”
State agency · June 2026 · grade A
Operator: Google
“Since the New Albany, Ohio data center was built in 2019, and two new data centers in Columbus and Lancaster, Ohio were built in 2023, Google has invested more than $20 billion in the state”
Company · Jan. 2025 · grade A
Name: Google Lancaster
“Since the New Albany, Ohio data center was built in 2019, and two new data centers in Columbus and Lancaster, Ohio were built in 2023, Google has invested more than $20 billion in the state”
Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Construction stage: operating
“Since the New Albany, Ohio data center was built in 2019, and two new data centers in Columbus and Lancaster, Ohio were built in 2023, Google has invested more than $20 billion in the state”
Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Stage: operating
“Since the New Albany, Ohio data center was built in 2019, and two new data centers in Columbus and Lancaster, Ohio were built in 2023, Google has invested more than $20 billion in the state”
Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Current target date: 2023
“Since the New Albany, Ohio data center was built in 2019, and two new data centers in Columbus and Lancaster, Ohio were built in 2023, Google has invested more than $20 billion in the state”
Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Ohio investment total: more than $20 billion USD
“Since breaking ground in New Albany in 2019, we've invested more than $20 billion in the state”
Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
local property tax abatement (CRA): program terms city CRA program: new industrial buildings eligible for a negotiated exemption for up to 15 years (structure cost at least $250,000)
“15-year exemption for a new industrial building where the cost of the structure (excluding the land) is at least $250,000”
Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade B
utility tariff framework (not campus-executed): scope Data Center Power tariff for new large data centers in AEP Ohio territory; the Lancaster campus's subscribed MW is not public
“On July 9, 2025, the PUCO adopted the consumer-focused settlement reached by AEP Ohio, OCC, PUCO Staff, Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy and others”
Utility regulator · Oct. 2026 · grade B
utility tariff framework (not campus-executed): minimum billing 85 % of contracted capacity
“The new data center tariff requires new, large data centers to pay for at least 85 percent of the electricity capacity they contract for, for up to 12 years, even if they use less”
Utility regulator · Oct. 2026 · grade B
utility tariff framework (not campus-executed): term up to 12 years
“The new data center tariff requires new, large data centers to pay for at least 85 percent of the electricity capacity they contract for, for up to 12 years, even if they use less”
Utility regulator · Oct. 2026 · grade B
utility tariff framework (not campus-executed): appeal data center industry groups appealed the PUCO decision to the Supreme Court of Ohio, November 2025; OCC joined to defend the settlement
“Data center industry groups appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Ohio in November 2025”
Utility regulator · Oct. 2026 · grade B
electric service agreement (campus): campus esa terms finding FINDING: no campus-specific electric service agreement, subscribed MW, minimum-billing or exit terms for 105 Whiley Rd are public. Google testified it purchas
“Google purchases 100% of our Ohio power through competitive retail markets and takes transmission service under PUCO-approved tariffs”
Company · June 2026 · grade B
investment commitment: additional Ohio investment, 2024 2300000000 USD
“In June, Google announced they are investing an additional $2.3 billion in its three data center sites in central Ohio.”
State agency · June 2024 · grade B
Tenants: Google (owner-occupied)
“Search giant Google operates three data centers in Lancaster, Columbus and New Albany, part of its fleet of 17 nationwide”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Tenant status: owner-occupied
“Search giant Google operates three data centers in Lancaster, Columbus and New Albany, part of its fleet of 17 nationwide”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Campus investment: not stated
“Google discloses Ohio-wide investment totals only; no Lancaster-specific capital investment figure appears in any company, state or city document opened”
Analysis · Oct. 2026 · grade C
local property tax abatement (CRA): existence Community Reinvestment Area agreement confirmed by Google
“Google declined to volunteer information about its tax abatements but confirmed CRAs with New Albany and Lancaster”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
local property tax abatement (CRA): terms finding FINDING: the executed Lancaster CRA agreement - exemption percentage, term, ordinance number, school-compensation terms - is not published in any source opened; flagged f
“That information is located in a patchwork of records across dozens of governments, making it difficult to understand the full picture”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Google acquired land in Columbus and Lancaster (618 acres combined) for potential data center development, alongside a $1B New Albany expansion; no Lancaster commitment or timeline was announced.
“The company also revealed it had acquired 618 more acres of land in Columbus and Lancaster for potential additional data center developments”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Google and Ohio officials announced the Columbus and Lancaster sites would become full data center campuses, bringing Google's total Ohio investment to more than $2 billion.
“The two new Google data centers will be built in Columbus and Lancaster”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Google announced an additional $1.7 billion across its three central Ohio campuses, to complete Columbus and Lancaster and expand New Albany; Lt. Gov. Husted said no tax credits or other public incentives were offered fo
“Mark Isakowitz, Google's vice president of government affairs and public policy, said the additional money will be used to complete the Columbus and Lancaster centers and expand the New Albany facility”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Google announced a further $2.3 billion Ohio investment for 2024 across Columbus, Lancaster and New Albany, on top of more than $4.4 billion invested since 2019.
“Google announced a $2.3 billion investment in Ohio for 2024. This expansion will further develop the company's infrastructure and Data Center sites in Columbus, Lancaster, and New Albany”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
property tax abatement: tax abatement - forgone taxes, tax year 2024 1300000 USD forgone (2024)
“A Google data center in Lancaster cost $1.3 million.”
News report · July 2026 · grade C
local property tax abatement (CRA): forgone taxes 2024 1300000 USD
“Neighboring Licking County reported $1.8 million in forgone taxes from Meta's Prometheus campus last year. A Google data center in Lancaster cost $1.3 million”
News report · July 2026 · grade C
state incentives - 2023 expansion: no new incentives finding FINDING: no tax credits or other public incentives were offered for the 2023 expansion per Lt. Gov. Husted; the pre-existing 2018 statewide sales-tax exemption
“Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who participated in Google's announcement, said no tax credits or other public incentives were offered to Google for the data-center expansion”
News report · Aug. 2023 · grade C

Permits and government (7)

Air: framework identified - no campus PTI/PTIO located
“Emergency electrical generators, emergency water pumps, or emergency air compressors powered by reciprocating emergency engines greater than fifty horsepower output where such engines operate at any one facility for no more than five hundred hours per rolling twelve-month period”
State agency · Oct. 2026 · grade A
Ohio Tax Credit Authority: Approval of statewide data center sales tax exemption - Montauk Innovations (Google)
“5 12/10/2018 Montauk Innovations (Google) $8,000,000,000 Statewide 100% up to 40 yrs (current: 20) $600,000,000 10/31/2018 10/30/2058”
State agency · June 2026 · grade A
PUCO adopted the AEP Ohio Data Center Power tariff (Case 24-508-EL-ATA): new large data centers pay at least 85% of contracted capacity for up to 12 years. Data center industry groups appealed to the Supreme Court of Ohi
“Data center industry groups appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Ohio in November 2025”
Utility regulator · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio: Opinion and Order adopting stipulation in Case No. 24-508-EL-ATA (AEP Ohio Data Center Power tariff)
“On July 9, 2025, the PUCO adopted the consumer-focused settlement reached by AEP Ohio, OCC, PUCO Staff, Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy and others”
Utility regulator · Oct. 2026 · grade B
Ohio Joint Committee on Data Centers: Public hearing on data centers - written testimony of Liz Schwab, Google Data Centers
“Google purchases 100% of our Ohio power through competitive retail markets and takes transmission service under PUCO-approved tariffs”
Company · June 2026 · grade B
Columbus Dispatch reporting on Ohio Department of Development records put the combined value of the Meta, Google and Amazon statewide sales-tax deals at an estimated $1.8 billion, with the department noting the uncapped
“The tax breaks for Meta, Google and Amazon are worth an estimated $1.8 billion, according to a document compiled by the Department of Development”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
data center tariff / rate structure (AEP Ohio): approved; rehearing bid rejected
“The new rate, which PUCO approved in July, will require new data center customers in Ohio to pay for a portion of their energy requests, even if they use less”
News report · July 2025 · grade C

Site and other (17)

City: Lancaster
“Lancaster has been chosen by Google to build a new Google Data Center. The construction began in August 2021 in which Google purchased 120 acres to build their new facility.”
Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
Construction of the Lancaster data center began in August 2021 on the 120-acre Whiley Road site, per the City of Lancaster's FY2021 audited statements - about 21 months before the public campus announcement.
“Lancaster has been chosen by Google to build a new Google Data Center. The construction began in August 2021 in which Google purchased 120 acres to build their new facility.”
Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade A
Owner: Google LLC
“Lancaster has been chosen by Google to build a new Google Data Center. The construction began in August 2021 in which Google purchased 120 acres to build their new facility.”
Local government · Dec. 2021 · grade A
Land (acres): 120 acres
“Lancaster has been chosen by Google to build a new Google Data Center. The construction began in August 2021 in which Google purchased 120 acres to build their new facility.”
Local government · Dec. 2021 · grade A
Construction start: Aug. 2021
“Lancaster has been chosen by Google to build a new Google Data Center. The construction began in August 2021 in which Google purchased 120 acres to build their new facility.”
Local government · Dec. 2021 · grade A
Project status: operating (first facility, since 2024) with a second facility under construction
“In 2024, the first facility was up and running and a second began construction.”
State agency · Dec. 2024 · grade B
Aliases: Google Lancaster Data Center; Lancaster (OH) data center
“Search giant Google operates three data centers in Lancaster, Columbus and New Albany, part of its fleet of 17 nationwide”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Original target date: not stated
“Google's Ohio locations page and announcement coverage state investment totals and campus locations only; no original COD for the Lancaster campus is published”
Analysis · Oct. 2026 · grade C
The Lancaster campus became a 2026 Ohio Senate campaign flashpoint: a Sherrod Brown ad features a local man opposing the Google data center in Lancaster over electric bills; Brown's campaign argues local communities had
“No one asked for that data center to be built here. And no one here is getting a damn thing from it, except higher electric bills”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Google-reported water use for the Lancaster campus was 207 million gallons in 2024 (Columbus Free Press, reproducing Google figures); the neighboring reporting put the Columbus Far South Side campus at 177 million gallon
“According to Google, the Far South Side data center used 177 million gallons in 2024 when it was just coming online. Its data center in Lancaster took 207 million gallons that year”
News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
Water use 2024: 207 million gallons
“According to Google, the Far South Side data center used 177 million gallons in 2024 when it was just coming online. Its data center in Lancaster took 207 million gallons that year”
News report · Dec. 2024 · grade C
Lancaster campus water use reported at 207 million gallons in 2024 in local coverage of Google central Ohio data centers.
“Its data center in Lancaster took 207 million gallons that year and in New Albany, 405 million.”
News report · Dec. 2024 · grade C
Operator: Google LLC
“Search giant Google operates three data centers in Lancaster, Columbus and New Albany, part of its fleet of 17 nationwide”
News report · July 2024 · grade C
Developer: Google LLC
“Ohio is a growing technology hub and data center market, and we welcome these two new Google projects in Columbus and Lancaster to complement the one already in New Albany”
News report · May 2023 · grade C
Campus announcement date: May 3, 2023
“The two new Google data centers will be built in Columbus and Lancaster”
News report · May 2023 · grade C
Announced: Aug. 2021
“Meanwhile, Google has acquired a total of 618 acres of land on the south side of Columbus and in Lancaster to build new data centers.”
News report · Aug. 2021 · grade C
First announced: April 2021
“The company also revealed it had acquired 618 more acres of land in Columbus and Lancaster for potential additional data center developments”
News report · April 2021 · grade C