Meta said its new data centre, which is in Indiana, marks a milestone AI investment for the technology company.

The facility is described as a state-of-the-art one-gigawatt (1GW) campus and represents a $10 billion investment into data centre infrastructure and the surrounding community. Described as one of its largest infrastructure investments to date, Meta said that, once operational, this gigawatt-level facility will be critical to advancing the technology that supports its core business and AI ambitions.

“Building at this scale creates the flexibility to support both goals while enabling technology with higher bandwidth, lower latency, and improved reliability,” the company said in its announcement.

Sustainable advancements

Meta has pledged that it will pay the full costs for all of the energy used by its data centres, working closely with utilities to plan for its energy needs years in advance. The company said this ensures residents close to the data centre will not be negatively impacted.

Other companies building and operating data centres have also made this commitment in recent months after data centre energy and power usage has entered the public consciousness further. Anthropic this week said it would be paying for 100% of grid upgrade costs associated with its data centres to help bring new power generation online and reduce grid strain.

A crucial part of Meta’s plans is supporting local families, with the company stating it will provide $1 billion every year for 20 years to the Boone REMC Community Fund to provide direct assistance with energy bills. Meta also said it would be funding emergency water utility assistance through The Caring Center – as part of a $120 million investment toward critical water infrastructure and other public infrastructure improvements in Lebanon, Indiana.

“With all our data centres, we strive to be good neighbours,” the company said. “We also pay the full cost of water and wastewater service required to support our data centres.”

The company also plans to match 100% of its data centre’s energy use with clean energy, using a water-efficient closed-loop, liquid-cooled system.

“Our commitment extends beyond the data centre itself … We’re also covering the full cost of water and wastewater service for our site, investing over $75 million in public water infrastructure projects,” added Rachel Peterson, vice president, data centers at Meta, via a LinkedIn post. “Meta pays the full costs of energy used by our data centres, so consumers aren’t paying our costs.”

A community commitment promise

A strong theme throughout Meta’s data centre announcement is its promise to invest in the local communities close to the new data centre.

The company has said it’s committed to creating a positive impact in Lebanon, Indiana through partnering with local partners through grant programmes, multi-year donations and ongoing public infrastructure investments.

At peak construction of the data centre, Meta expects to create more than 4,000 construction jobs and roughly 300 operational jobs. It also said it would be launching programmes to connect schools with local employers to ensure new skills and career paths for young people.

“After spending time with local leaders and key stakeholders today, I can say we are beyond proud to invest in Lebanon’s exceptional workforce and partner with local businesses to drive long-term economic growth,” Peterson added. “We’re deeply grateful for the support from the State of Indiana, the City of Lebanon and the Boone County Economic Development Corporation.

“Together, we’re building the infrastructure that will fuel the future of AI, accelerate digital innovation and deliver meaningful, long-term impact for the community.”

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