On 12 October 2026, Google presented a revised scenario for its campus in the Ozans business park at Étrechet, near Châteauroux in central France: six to eight buildings rolled out in stages over ten to twenty years, down from ten in the original plan, on about 195 hectares. Public debate focuses on land, water and landscape. But the project is first of all an electrical project, and the grid will set its real pace.
DOES YOUR SITUATION LOOK LIKE ONE OF THESE?
TWO PHASES, TWO VOLTAGE LEVELS
According to published information, the first phase plans a connection to the transmission grid at 225 kV for 120 MW. The second requires new 400 kV works: two substations, underground 225 kV links and two overhead 400 kV lines of more than ten kilometres, built by RTE.
The two phases are not equivalent. The first relies on the existing grid, possibly reinforced. The second creates new infrastructure with its own studies, permitting procedures and timeline, separate from the data center's building permit. For the area, it is often the most visible and longest-lasting part of the project.
ANNOUNCED POWER VS CONNECTED POWER
Final power estimates in the press range from over 500 MW to 1.2 GW. The only figure specified so far is the first phase: 120 MW. The gap is normal for a modular campus, but it matters: what is actually committed is the capacity RTE has offered and the developer has reserved, not the headline figure.
What lies behind a power announcement is the question we cover in exploratory study, PTF or connection agreement: which document actually secures a site.
A TIMELINE ALREADY MOVING
The referral to the national public debate commission mentioned first operation in 2028-2029. The October scenario now refers to a first building around 2030. For a project of this size, the timeline depends as much on the grid works and their permits as on construction itself. Each power phase is a milestone in its own right.
WHAT THE CONSULTATION CAN CLARIFY
The public consultation under the national public debate commission is due to open in November 2026, with four public meetings, the first on 9 November in Châteauroux. Whatever one's view of the project, a few questions help clarify what it involves:
Which works does the first phase need, and which the second?
What route and what procedure for the 400 kV lines, and who decides?
What triggers the move from one phase to the next?
What happens to the land and the works if later phases do not go ahead?
On water, Google says it plans an initial fill of about 1,000 m³, with no abstraction from or discharge into groundwater. Operating needs, depending on the cooling technology and during periods of water stress, remain to be documented.
OUR VIEW
The Ozans site is one of the "turnkey" sites selected by the French State, and the press has mentioned a possible designation as a project of major national interest. Since the law of 26 May 2026, a data center with that status has its building permit issued by the prefect rather than the mayor, which shifts the balance between the host town, the inter-municipal authority and the State.
For elected officials and residents alike, the key is to separate what is decided, what is reserved and what is still an intention. On a campus of this size, the grid connection is what makes the difference between the three. We follow this case, like others, in our opposition tracker, factually and without taking sides.
Sources: DCmag, "Où en est le projet de data center XXL de Google à Châteauroux ?", 15 October 2026; AFP and La Tribune via Les Numériques, 21 September 2026; La Nouvelle République; French law no. 2026-403 of 26 May 2026 on simplifying economic life (article 35). Project details are those made public by the developer and the press; they may change during the public consultation.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How much power for Google's data center at Étrechet?
The first phase plans 120 MW connected to the transmission grid at 225 kV. Final power estimates in the press range from over 500 MW to 1.2 GW, depending on build-out pace and use.
What grid works are planned?
According to the consultation file as reported in the press: two substations, underground 225 kV links and two overhead 400 kV lines of more than ten kilometres, built by RTE.
When is the public consultation?
The consultation under the national public debate commission is due to open in November 2026, with four public meetings, the first on 9 November in Châteauroux.