The Effect of Google Data Centers on City Competitiveness

Abstract

The decision by Google several years ago to begin building major data center campuses prompted economic-development officials nationwide to vie to have their communities chosen as a Google Data Center site. They hoped the facilities would bring hundreds of jobs, lure other technology companies and help create technology hubs in their areas. However, this study of three of the communities where Google built major data centers -- Goose Creek, South Carolina; Lenoir, North Carolina; and Council Bluffs, Iowa—shows that the centers haven’t always lived up to expectations. The author interviews economic development officials in each of the three communities.