Google is seeking approval to add 228 emergency backup generators at its data center campus in southeast Fort Wayne, expanding the facility’s backup-power infrastructure as construction continues.
The application was submitted by Hatchworks LLC, the Google-affiliated entity developing the campus, to Indiana environmental regulators. The proposed generators would be installed at the facility near East Tillman Road and Adams Center Road.
The filing seeks a significant modification to the facility’s air operating permit. It covers new diesel-fired emergency generators and related equipment at the data center. The request remains under review and does not represent final approval.
Generators for emergency use
Google says the generators would be used for emergency backup power during grid outages and for required maintenance testing. They would not supply electricity during the facility’s normal daily operations.
The company expects each unit to undergo testing for fewer than 10 hours per year. Non-resettable hour meters would be installed on the generators to track operating time and support compliance monitoring.
Some of the units would include pollution-control technology designed to meet or exceed EPA Tier 4 emissions standards. The proposed fuel systems include ultra-low-sulfur diesel and renewable alternatives such as hydrotreated vegetable oil, or HVO.
The generators would use integrated, double-walled fuel tanks. The design is intended to reduce the risk of fuel leaks while allowing the facility to maintain backup power for critical operations.
The final operating limits, emissions requirements and monitoring conditions will be determined during the regulatory review.
Latest step in campus expansion
The latest application follows an earlier approval involving more than 140 emergency generators at the Fort Wayne campus.
If the new request is approved, the 228 generators would be added to the equipment authorized under previous approvals. The final number of generators at the campus will depend on the outcome of the review and the equipment ultimately installed.
Google broke ground on the Fort Wayne project in April 2024 after announcing a planned investment of approximately $2 billion. The development was initially associated with the code name “Project Zodiac” and is being developed through Hatchworks LLC.
The campus is planned as a large, multi-phase development in southeast Fort Wayne. Parts of the data center became operational in 2026, while construction continues to prepare additional capacity.
Power and grid management
Google is working with Indiana Michigan Power on a customized electricity and demand-response arrangement for the facility.
Under the agreement, Google can reduce or shift some electricity consumption during periods of stress on the regional grid. The arrangement is intended to help manage the data center’s impact on the power system as operations expand.
The demand-response arrangement is separate from the generator request. Demand response reduces or shifts electricity use from the grid, while emergency generators provide backup power during outages or testing.
The project has also been linked to clean-energy capacity involving Google and Indiana Michigan Power. However, the generators covered by the new request would remain emergency equipment rather than the facility’s primary source of electricity.
Public review
The application will be reviewed to determine whether the proposed equipment meets Indiana air-quality requirements.
Residents and other interested parties may review the application through the state’s air-permit records and submit comments during the public-comment period.
The review may consider issues involving emissions, equipment operation, monitoring requirements and compliance with state and federal air-quality rules.
Power requirements are also shaping the development of new AI data centers. In Odessa, Texas, the planned Texas Critical Data Center has secured a 20-year agreement for up to 207 MW of electricity for its first phase, although the project has not yet announced a signed data center tenant lease.
Google Fort Wayne Data Center Factsheet
- Developer: Hatchworks LLC, a Google-affiliated entity.
- Location: Southeast Fort Wayne, near East Tillman Road and Adams Center Road.
- Planned investment: Approximately $2 billion.
- Development status: Parts of the facility are operational, while construction continues.
- Project type: Multi-phase hyperscale data center campus.
- Project code name: Project Zodiac.
- New request: Approval for 228 additional emergency backup generators.
- Other equipment: The request also covers related cooling equipment.
- Fuel options: Ultra-low-sulfur diesel and hydrotreated vegetable oil.
- Emissions controls: Some generators are expected to use technology designed to meet or exceed EPA Tier 4 standards.
- Generator use: Emergency backup power and required maintenance testing.
- Normal operations: The generators are not intended to provide the campus’s regular daily electricity.
- Monitoring: Non-resettable hour meters would track generator operating time.
- Electric utility: Indiana Michigan Power.
- Grid strategy: A customized demand-response arrangement designed to reduce or shift electricity use during periods of grid stress.
- Earlier expansion: More than 140 emergency generators were previously approved for the campus.
- Current status: The request for 228 additional generators remains under review.
- Economic impact: The project is expected to create approximately 200 permanent technology and operations jobs, in addition to construction and contractor employment generated during the buildout.
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