Google has announced plans to invest an additional $9bn in Virginia by the end of 2026, focusing on enhancing cloud and AI infrastructure across the US state.

The investment will fund the development of a new data centre campus in Chesterfield County and support the expansion of existing facilities in Loudoun and Prince William Counties.

Additionally, Google plans to enhance education and workforce development programmes for Virginians.

The investment is part of a broader trend where technology companies are expanding their data centre capacities in the US.

Alphabet-subsidiary Google last month increased its annual capital expenditures guidance by $10bn to $85bn.

Although Google has not specified when the Chesterfield facility will be operational, it typically takes 18 to 24 months to complete such projects, a company spokesperson said in an email to Bloomberg.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin said: “Investments like this not only expand Virginia’s cloud and AI infrastructure but also expand our efforts to build a future-ready workforce through initiatives like our AI Career Launch Pad.

“Virginia is the largest data centre market in the world and remains a top-ranked hub for AI talent and innovation, where opportunity meets preparation.”

As part of Google’s commitment, all Virginia-based college students will receive free access to the Google AI Pro plan for 12 months, along with AI training and job search support.

Alphabet and Google president and chief investment officer Ruth Porat said: “Google’s investments in technical infrastructure and AI skills development help to ensure that people across Virginia and across the US have access to opportunity in this exciting era of American innovation.”

Recently, Meta awarded a $10bn cloud computing deal to Google, committing to utilise Google Cloud’s servers and storage capabilities over a six-year period.