Follow Olhar Digital on Google Discover
Meta announced a $1.5 billion investment to build a new artificial intelligence (AI)-focused data center in El Paso, Texas. The project is the company’s 29th installation of this type in the world and the third in the US state. The infrastructure is part of the company’s overall strategy to expand its processing capacity and support the growing demand for AI applications. The information is from the Reuters agency.
Strategic expansion in Texas
According to Meta, the new data center should be operational in 2028 and will be able to reach 1 gigawatt of energy capacity, enough to supply a city the size of San Francisco for an entire day. This makes it among the largest data center campuses planned in the United States.
The company emphasized that it chose El Paso for its robust power grid and the region’s skilled workforce. During construction, the project is expected to employ more than 1,800 workers and approximately 100 permanent jobs will be created when the structure is fully operational.
With this new investment, Meta has already surpassed $10 billion in contributions to Texas, employing more than 2,500 people in the state.
Race for AI infrastructure
Meta is part of a group of tech giants, including Amazon, Alphabet (Google) and Microsoft, who are in a real race to expand cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence. Together, these companies are expected to invest more than US$360 billion by 2025, according to estimates based on corporate filings.
Much of this investment is focused on large-scale data centers, known as hyperscalers, designed to support massive AI processing loads.
Highlights of Meta’s new project include:
- Clean energy: the data center will be 100% powered by renewable sources;
- Water efficiency: the cooling system will be closed and liquid, continuously reusing water;
- Sustainability: The company is committed to restoring twice the water the center consumes, surpassing its goal of being “water positive” by 2030;
- Financial partnerships: The investment follows Meta’s recent $29 billion deal with Pimco and Blue Owl to finance another data center campus in Louisiana.
Economic and environmental impact
According to Jon Barela, CEO of the Borderplex Alliance, a group charged with promoting economic development in the region, the arrival of Meta should spur new technology projects in El Paso. “Meta is the fastest gazelle in the industry,” said Barela, noting that other companies may follow suit after the announcement.
The project began about four years ago, following a recommendation from Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s office. The state offered tax incentives and other perks to lure the social media giant.
Read more:
With the new investment, Meta strengthens its position among the leading companies in the technology infrastructure needed to support the next generation of AI tools, while consolidating its commitment to sustainability and energy innovation.
