Google's India AI Hub Approved for 2.51GW, Not 1GW, Reports the Guardian
Villagers in Tarluvada claim their land was taken for the $15 billion project, but promised jobs and plots have not materialized.
September 26, 2026 - 4:59 pm
Credit: Anthony Quintano
Google's $15 billion AI data center project in Andhra Pradesh has received state environmental clearance for 2.51GW of capacity, more than double the initially announced 1GW, according to documents obtained by the Guardian.
Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Aakash Hassan reported from Tarluvada, one of the villages where the project is being constructed. The Guardian reveals that 2.51GW is roughly the output of two large nuclear reactors, accounting for more than 30% of the state's current annual power consumption.
Google, in partnership with Adani ConneX and Airtel, announced the Visakhapatnam AI hub in October 2025. In response to the Guardian's inquiries, Google characterized the project as a gigawatt-scale hub, comparable to other initiatives.
The state granted the necessary approval in just nine days, without conducting a public hearing. The Human Rights Forum has since filed three petitions at India's National Green Tribunal, and a separate case is pending at the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
The project encompasses three sites around Visakhapatnam, one of which is located near a reserve forest, a drinking water reservoir, and a wildlife sanctuary.
In Tarluvada, 520 families recently had land taken back that they had been allotted around 20 years ago, according to the Guardian. Villagers allege that security guards working for the Adani Group erected fences in April, blocking them from plots they had farmed for years.
Some of the 47 Dalit farmers who were compensated for their land claim they have not received the new plots and jobs promised to them. One farmer, P Venkat Rao, shared with the Guardian, "I am a farmer, without my land I am nothing," after receiving $40,000 for his single acre but losing his primary source of livelihood.
The state government maintains that no land was acquired by force and that eligible individuals were adequately compensated. The Adani Group also asserts that all legal clearances are in place.
Google asserts that the site will be cooled by air, precluding any impact on local drinking water. They further claim that the project will create thousands of jobs in the Visakhapatnam area and that the state's tax breaks and cheap land, power, and water for Google are estimated to be worth approximately $2.2 billion over the next 20 years.
This dispute parallels data center protests in the US and globally. The tribunal petitions are still pending a decision.