Black Hills plans $2B investment to power Google data center by 2030

Google: Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, operates extensive data center infrastructure supporting its search, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence services. The company is forming partnerships with utilities to secure dedicated power supplies for new facilities while structuring agreements to avoid shifting costs to other ratepayers. Black Hills: Black Hills Corp. is a customer-focused utility company based in South Dakota that provides natural gas and electric services across multiple states. It recently signed long-term agreements to develop and manage power resources specifically to support electricity delivery for a planned Google data center in Wyoming. AI-Driven Energy Needs: Rising electricity demand from artificial intelligence data centers is prompting utilities and technology companies to pursue new generation capacity through dedicated agreements. Power Supply Strategies: Companies are pursuing diversified approaches including natural gas and nuclear resources via multi-year deals to ensure reliable electricity for large-scale computing facilities. Utility-Technology Collaboration: Tech firms are entering long-term contracts with utilities to fund infrastructure expansions that support data center operations while protecting other customers from associated costs.