- Meta is investing $1.5 billion in an AI-focused data center in El Paso, Texas.
- The facility will be powered by 100% renewable energy and restore twice the water it consumes.
- The project marks Meta’s 29th data center globally and highlights the AI infrastructure arms race across Big Tech.
Meta Platforms is doubling down on artificial intelligence infrastructure with a new $1.5 billion investment to build a state-of-the-art AI data center in El Paso, Texas. The new site will be the company’s 29th global facility and its third in Texas, expanding Meta’s already vast cloud and data operations that power Facebook, Instagram, and its AI-driven ecosystem.
Meta’s AI Expansion Gains Momentum
Expected to go online by 2028, the El Paso data center will have the potential to scale up to 1 gigawatt, enough power to support a city the size of San Francisco for an entire day. The campus aims to serve as one of the largest AI-ready data centers in the U.S., designed specifically to handle machine learning workloads, generative AI models, and next-gen infrastructure.
Meta said it selected El Paso for its strong electrical grid and skilled workforce, while highlighting the region’s appeal as a growing AI hub. The project is projected to create 1,800 construction jobs at peak activity and 100 permanent positions once operational.
Texas at the Center of Meta’s $10 Billion Push
The company’s Texas footprint now exceeds $10 billion in investments and 2,500 employees statewide. This includes its other Texas data centers and the new El Paso site, which Meta is fully funding with its own capital. The move follows a $29 billion off-balance-sheet deal with Pimco and Blue Owl to finance another data center campus in Louisiana.
Meta’s aggressive infrastructure buildout comes amid an AI spending boom across Big Tech. Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft are projected to pour more than $360 billion into AI-related infrastructure this year, according to company filings — most of it directed toward data centers and energy-intensive computing power.
Sustainability at the Core
Meta emphasized that the El Paso data center will operate on 100% renewable energy, using a closed-loop liquid cooling system to recycle water continuously. The company also pledged to restore twice the water consumed by the facility to local watersheds, surpassing its 2030 goal of becoming “water-positive.”
Local leaders praised the project as a major win for El Paso’s economy and technology ecosystem. “The fastest gazelle finds their place, others follow, and Meta is the fastest gazelle in the industry,” said Jon Barela, CEO of the Borderplex Alliance, a regional development group involved in the deal.
Industry Implications
Meta’s investment underscores a broader race among hyperscalers to secure power, land, and resources for AI infrastructure. As AI models grow exponentially in size, the need for specialized data centers capable of handling vast compute loads has become a strategic priority — and Meta appears determined to stay ahead of the curve.
