Google's plan to build 50-hectare 'energy-gobbling' AI data centre on farmland sparks fury in Austria

By IMOGEN GARFINKEL - SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 11:13, 20 July 2026 | Updated: 11:14, 20 July 2026 Google is building a 50-hectare 'energy-gobbling' AI data centre on farmland in Austria, sparking outrage from locals. Villagers in Kronstorf are protesting against the development, which is slated to be one of Europe's largest data hubs when it opens in 2027. On Friday, 300 demonstrators congregated at the building site, carrying placards that read 'Google go home' and 'Think first, then decide - no to energy-gobbler Google'.  Critics warn that the 'hyperscale' site will lead to the loss of agrarian land over an area equivalent to 70 football fields. Campaigners, who argue that their environmental concerns have been ignored, say the centre could negatively affect water and energy supplies as well as marine life.  The site would be the home of Google's artificial intelligence operations, as well as the company's cloud services, Google Maps and streaming on YouTube. Politicians in the state of Upper Austria argue that the project will bolster the local economy and show that the region is pushing ahead. But opponents say big tech and business interests are taking precedent over the threat to nature, and have called for an urgent examination of the project's environmental impact. Villagers in Kronstorf are protesting against the development, which is slated to be one of Europe's largest data hubs when it opens in 2027 Google is building a 50-hectare 'energy-gobbling' AI data centre on farmland in Austria, sparking outrage from locals The site would be the home of Google's artificial intelligence operations, as well as the company's cloud services, Google Maps and streaming on YouTube 'Especially after the recent heatwave, we’ve all seen what happens when the climate keeps getting warmer', one protester told the local news outlet Wiener Zeitung.  'We need to make sure that the big tech giants don’t speed this up even more and ruin our standards of living in the process.' Because Austria’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act does not cover data centres, Google’s proposal was not subjected to environmental scrutiny by the government. One demonstrator said: 'If I wanted to add an extension to my roof, I’d have to go through all sorts of procedures. But apparently not for something like this.' Harald Müllner, 62, of Citizens’ Initiative Data Centre Kronstorf, which organised the demonstration, said villagers feared that, without significant scrutiny, the development would have far-reaching consequences for the area's water and energy supplies. 'Our aim is to gather all the facts, ensure transparency, and reveal the impacts on society, the environment and quality of life,' he said. More than 10,000 people have signed a petition by his organisation, demanding the public release of all contracts and agreements between Google and the local authorities.  The site’s annual electricity consumption is expected to be 1.5 to 2 terawatt-hours (TWh), according to Google. The Austrian Power Grid has claimed this would power 900,000 homes.  In 2024, the state of Upper Austria, which has about 676,000 households, consumed 14 TWh, according to the Upper Austrian Energy Report. Google has submitted expansion plans claiming that the data hub would also release as many as 5.8 million litres of chemically-treated water daily into the River Enns, a tributary of the Danube. The temperature of the water released after cooling the servers could reach 30C.  But marine research has shown that, above 26C, rivers lose their capacity to retain oxygen, threatening to suffocate wildlife within them.  Researchers from the University of Cambridge have found evidence that data centres can create 'heat islands', increasing local temperatures by an average of 2C and up to 9C. 'Who will pay the real cost of this? It’ll be us, not Google', a protester said. 'But the billions in profit will go to Silicon Valley.' According to Upper Austria’s Energy Efficiency Act, heat from cooling servers needs to be pumped into local heating networks or neighbouring buildings. The site lacks a connection to the local grid, but Google has promised that infrastructure for heat recovery will be constructed 'once a suitable buyer has been found'. Solar panels on the roof will enable carbon-free energy for the site, it has said. Local politicians are in favour of the plan. At the groundbreaking ceremony in April, they brought a 'Googlehupf' - a play on a Guglhupf, an Austrian sponge cake. Thomas Stelzer, the state governor and a member of the conservative Austrian People’s Party, said: 'The fact that Google has chosen Kronstorf sends a strong signal about Upper Austria as a hub for business and innovation. We don’t just want to use the technologies of tomorrow. We want to develop them right here and ensure value creation.' The Austrian branch of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is demanding the full disclosure of the development's total land, electricity, and water requirements, and for the enforcement of local laws on reusing waste heat. Simon Pories, WWF spokesman for soil conservation, said: 'Instead of acting as an advertising agency for Google, the state government should focus on ensuring compliance with high standards for the protection of the environment and the public.' He also called for the EIA Act to be changed, calling the situation 'a grave legal loophole'.