Google's proposed data center near Châteauroux, France, is among the largest such projects in the country. Located on the ZAC d'Ozans in Étrechet, a small commune with around 1,000 residents, the project spans approximately 195 hectares. It includes plans for eight to ten buildings, two electrical substations, and multiple connection links. The first phase is expected to be completed by 2028 or 2029, with additional phases starting in 2031. The project is being developed by Google France and its subsidiaries Tricolore Computing and Violet Computing, with RTE, a French electricity transmission company, involved in the electrical infrastructure. The land sale agreement was approved in June 2025 for 58.5 million euros, with the final contract expected by July 2030. However, the electrical power requirements of the project remain unclear, with estimates ranging from 500 megawatts to 1.1 gigawatts. This has raised concerns in a region where high-voltage power lines are already at capacity. Environmental activists have expressed frustration over the lack of transparency, citing the project's secrecy as a barrier to public understanding. In April 2026, President Emmanuel Macron designated Étrechet as one of 150 major strategic industrial projects. This classification occurred before Google was expected to finalize its decision in June 2026. The announcement of the project triggered a local political crisis, with three deputies and a counselor resigning in September 2026. They cited concerns about visual impact, water resources, and potential strain on the local power grid. The project was submitted to the National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP) on March 24, 2026, with a preliminary consultation planned for April 1, 2026. A public consultation was set to begin in the autumn of 2026. The timeline includes a sales compromise vote in June 2025, municipal elections in March 2026, and the CNDP’s decision on the consultation in April 2026. In France, unlike in the United States, elected officials cannot guarantee confidential deliberations, but the period before a decision does not have to be made public. In Châteauroux, nine months passed between the sales compromise vote and the start of the public consultation. The potential impact of the project on employment, water usage, and electricity consumption has been widely discussed. American studies suggest that data centers can create local jobs but typically do not lead to significant increases in salaries or property values. Water usage estimates vary, with some experts focusing on annual averages and others on the network's capacity to handle peak demand. Electricity remains a major concern, as the region's existing high-voltage lines are already near capacity, requiring substantial upgrades. Legislative efforts in France are addressing data center regulation, including a bill by Senator David Ros aiming to control their installation and a report from the inquiry commission on digital sector dependencies, which proposed a moratorium on projects not related to national sovereignty. The public consultation in Châteauroux will allow residents to voice their opinions, though they will not have a say in whether the project moves forward.