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Google's proposed 200-hectare campus near Châteauroux splits Étrechet; mayor and five councillors resign
At Étrechet, near Châteauroux (Indre), a Google data-centre project of about 200 hectares and 500 MW to 1.1 GW would need a new 400 kV RTE line, franceinfo reported on 6 Oct. Four councillors resigned on 14 Sep and the mayor the next day; six elected officials have now left, citing a lack of transparency. Google says the project is at an early stage, with construction expected from 2027. The national public-debate commission (CNDP) holds a non-binding debate in November.
Why it matters. It would be Google's first French data centre, on one of the 55 government "turnkey" sites. Local resistance on a state-backed site tests whether France's fast-track list moves projects or only relocates fights.
Our data addsRTE had reserved nearly 18 GW for about 80 data-centre projects by May 2026 (our grid-queue table); this site would add up to 1.1 GW of demand. /europe/data-centre-grid-queues →
Source: franceinfo, 6 October 2026
Next: CNDP public debate (November 2026); municipal by-election in early November