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Data center campus · 22272 Charleston Road, north of Buffalo, Putnam County, West Virginia

Google data center campus (Project Avalon)

Approved as of March 27, 2026

Google bought land north of Buffalo and received state high impact approval for a campus that permit filings describe as eight buildings totaling about 2.2 million square feet on 1,699 acres. Also known as: Project Avalon, Cumulus Group LLC.

Cite← West Virginia data centers
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PowerNot statedNot reported in the records found
Floor area2.2e+06sq ft
Site1,699acres

Who is behind it

ProjectGoogle data center campus (Project Avalon)Also: Project Avalon, Cumulus Group LLC
Developer and teamGoogle (through Cumulus Group LLC (permit applicant))
End userGoogle

The record, newest first

  1. The Bond Buyer valued the Google project at $7 billion. (The Bond Buyer, Sept. 4, 2026)

  2. Google contracted for 86 MW from MN8 Energy's Mammoth Solar project on a reclaimed mine in Kanawha County; WVPB described the campus as up to eight buildings served by Appalachian Power. (West Virginia Public Broadcasting, Sept. 3, 2026)

  3. At a Putnam County Commission meeting, the commission president said the site was unzoned, that Google's permit requests were going through the county Planning Commission, and that H.B. 2014 leaves the county unable to stop the project; a residents' group presented a proposed resolution, and no vote was reported. (The Herald-Dispatch (HD Media), Aug. 27, 2026)

  4. The Army Corps comment period on the wetland and stream fill permit closed; decisions were pending. (Charleston Gazette-Mail, July 10, 2026)

  5. Applicant Cumulus Group's state waters and water-quality certification applications are dated this day; the related federal filing describes eight buildings and about 1,254 acres of ground disturbance. (Charleston Gazette-Mail, July 10, 2026)

  6. West Virginia Watch reported that the Putnam County project had been certified by the state and does not include a microgrid. (West Virginia Watch, June 11, 2026; WV MetroNews, June 15, 2026)

  7. The governor announced that Google had bought land in Putnam County and that its project had received high impact approval, and said Google would pay for its electricity and for electric, water and sewer upgrades. (Office of the Governor of West Virginia, March 27, 2026; West Virginia Watch, March 27, 2026; WV Daily News, March 27, 2026; The Inter-Mountain via West Virginia Press Association, March 30, 2026)

  8. HD Media identified the site at 22272 Charleston Road north of Buffalo; a state delegate put it at about 1,700 acres, which Google did not confirm. (The Herald-Dispatch, March 27, 2026)

  9. Commerce received Google's application for high impact data center certification, according to a spokesperson for the governor. (The Herald-Dispatch, March 27, 2026)

Conflicts and open questions

  • Acreage first came from a delegate's Facebook post (about 1,700 acres), not from Google or a deed; permit filings give 1,699 acres.
  • Formal Endangered Species Act consultation had not begun as of July 2026; the Corps expected listed species to be affected.
  • No MW figure has been disclosed; the 86 MW solar contract is not the campus load.
  • Sources conflict on the power connection: WVPB and the Inter-Mountain describe grid service through Appalachian Power, while the county commission president said in August 2026 that Google plans a closed-loop system rather than a local grid connection.
  • The governor's office announced the approval on March 27, 2026, three days after Commerce received the application; HD Media later said Commerce approved certification in March.

The full record

Status note
Approved by the state as a high impact data center in March 2026; federal and state wetland and stream permits were pending as of mid-2026.
Power note
Google said it was too early to say how much power the campus would use.
Evidence
Primary public records
Size class
50 MW or more (tracker scope)
Map position approximate, from the reported address or area. Updated Oct. 17, 2026.