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    A Billion Dollars

    Google will invest more than $1 billion into 2 Texas data centers

    Teresa Gubbins
    Aug 20, 2024 | 5:00 pm
    U.S. Congressman Jake Ellzey

    U.S. Congressman Jake Ellzey

    Google

    Google is making a big investment in Texas to the tune of $1 billion.

    According to a news release, the tech giant will spend more than $1 billion to support its cloud and data center infrastructure. The company is also expanding its commitment to clean energy.

    The $1 billion will be spent on data center campuses in Midlothian and Red Oak to help meet growing demand for Google Cloud, AI innovations, and other digital products and services such as Search, Maps, and Workspace.

    In addition to its data center investment, Google has also forged long-term power purchase agreements with Houston-based Engie, as well as Madrid-based entities Elawan, Grupo Cobra, and X-ELIO for solar energy based in Texas. Together, these new agreements are expected to provide 375 MW of carbon-free energy capacity, which will help support Google’s operations in Texas.

    These agreements were facilitated through LEAP (LevelTen Energy’s Accelerated Process), which was co-developed by Google and LevelTen Energy to make sourcing and executing clean energy PPAs more efficient, and contributes to the company’s ambitious 2030 goal to run on 24/7 carbon-free energy on every grid where it operates.

    The company has contracted with energy partners to bring more than 2,800 megawatts (MW) of new wind and solar projects to the state. Google’s CFE percentage in the ERCOT grid region, which powers its Texas data centers, nearly doubled from 41 percent in 2022 to 79 percent in 2023.

    The investment was announced at a conference in Midlothian on August 15, attended by business leaders and politicians including U.S. Congressman Jake Ellzey, Google Cloud VP Yolande Piazza, Senator Ted Cruz, and Citi CIO Shadman Zafar.

    The Dallas cloud region is part of Google Cloud's global network of 40 regions that delivers services to large enterprises, startups, and public sector organizations.

    "Expanding our cloud and data center infrastructure in Midlothian and Red Oak reflects our confidence in the state's ability to lead in the digital economy," Piazza said in a statement.

    Data centers are the engines behind the growing digital economy. Google has helped train more than 1 million residents in digital skills through partnerships with 590 local organizations, including public libraries, chambers of commerce, and community colleges.

    In addition to its cloud region and Midlothian data center, Google has offices in Austin, Dallas, and Houston. Overall, Google has invested more than $2.7 billion into Texas.

    technology
    news/innovation
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    up, up, and away

    Houston Spaceport plans $12 million expansion for moon-focused company

    Jef Rouner
    Jul 17, 2025 | 12:45 pm
    The sign for Intuitive Machines at the the Houston Spaceport at Ellington Airport (EFD).
    Photo courtesy of Houston Airports Public Information Office
    Houston's spaceport is getting a $12 million upgrade.

    Houston got a little closer to the moon again this week as the Houston Spaceport at Ellington Airport (EFD) announced an expansion of the lease for Intuitive Machines, a company dedicated to furthering lunar exploration.

    On Tuesday, the City of Houston announced passage of Amendment 1, which would add three-acres of commercial space of Intuitive Machines at the spaceport and a $12 million infrastructure expansion. Approved by the City Council and Mayor John Whitmire, the expansion will include new production, testing and support facilities. The amendment extends the current lease for Intuitive Machines from 20 years to 25 years.

    "I want to shout out to Intuitive Machines about everything they’re doing at the Houston Spaceport. It’s exciting to see them expand. We’re starting to reach a critical mass out there — more and more aerospace companies want to be at the Spaceport because that’s where innovation is happening,” said Fred Flinkinger, who represents District E on the Houston City Council. “It’s a great sign of momentum, and we’re proud to have them here in Houston."

    Intuitive Machines was the first commercial tenant for the Houston Spaceport when it moved into the facility in August 2016. Founded by Stephen Altemus, Kam Ghaffarian, and Tim Crain in 2013, the company holds three contracts with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to deliver payloads to the lunar surface. In 2023, the company opened its doors in Houston with a 105,572-square-foot Lunar Production and Operations Center that contains research and development labs, clean rooms, mission control centers, and a spacecraft assembly floor.

    The Houston Spaceport is owned and operated by the City of Houston and Houston Airports, who have an eye of keeping the city a prime name in space exploration. As "Houston" was the first word spoken on the moon when Apollo 11 landed in 1969, lunar exploration in particular has a soft place in the heart of the metropolis formerly known as Space City. Intuitive Machines landed Odysseus on the moon in February 2024, the first privately-owned soft lunar landing ever and the first soft landing since 1972.

    “This agreement reinforces Houston’s leadership in space innovation,” said Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for Houston Airports. “We’re building infrastructure and supporting the next era of lunar and deep space exploration, right here at Houston Spaceport. This partnership represents the forward-thinking development that fuels job creation and drives long-term economic growth.”

    intuitive machinesspaceport
    news/innovation

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