Google to invest $13 billion in U.S. operations

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Google said Wednesday it will invest 13 billion U.S. dollars in US data centers and offices this year as the Internet giant continues to expand across the country.

The spending will build on more than nine billion U.S. dollars in US investments in the past year and should create the potential for tens of thousands of new jobs, according to chief executive Sundar Pichai.

"This growth will allow us to invest in the communities where we operate, while we improve the products and services that help billions of people and businesses globally," Pichai said in an online blog post.

"Our new data center investments, in particular, will enhance our ability to provide the fastest and most reliable services for all our users and customers."

Investments this year will focus outside of Silicon Valley where Google has its home, and give the company outposts in 24 states.

This will be the second year in a row that Google will "be growing faster outside the (San Francisco) Bay Area than in it," Pichai said.

Google last year hired more than 10,000 people in the US, according to the company.

The internet giant is also making significant investments in renewable energy to power US operations, Pichai said.

The move follows major investments or expansions from other US tech giants including Apple and Amazon, both moving beyond their existing headquarters.

Google's parent company Alphabet last year said it was investing more than one billion U.S. dollars to set up a new campus in New York City.

(Cover: Google CEO Sundar Pichai /VCG Photo)

Source(s): AFP