Google $4B West Memphis AI Campus; Approvals Pending

Google announced a $4 billion investment through 2027 to build its first Arkansas data center campus in West Memphis on roughly 1,000–1,100 acres, the largest private investment in state history. The campus will focus on AI infrastructure, is expected to take 18–24 months to build, and is projected to employ thousands of construction workers and hundreds of permanent staff. Google will partner with Entergy Arkansas, cover the facility’s energy costs, and back a 600 MW solar project paired with a 350 MW battery storage system to power the site; Entergy projects the arrangement could lower electricity rates and deliver more than $1.1 billion in net benefits over the contract. Google also announced a $25 million Energy Impact Fund, commitments to workforce and higher-education AI training aimed at upskilling 10,000 Arkansans, and local programs including energy-affordability initiatives and home weatherization. Some approvals and regulatory filings for the project are still pending.